Indonesia has never seemed further away than it does
right now. New York too, for that matter – I’m not going to be getting on a
plane anytime soon to travel anywhere, so both places are out of the question.
I’m sequestering myself until further notice – well, at least until all that
COVID is gone.
Why am I talking about Indonesia and New York in virtually
the same breath? Great question. Psychotropes
2, out NOW on Alrealon Musique, is an “18 track compilation of noise &
electronics from Indonesia and New York, USA,” highlighting the similarities
and shared inspirations that can span oceans and continents and cultures. But I
don’t know anything about that hogwash – I’m just a philistine with a tape deck
and very few interesting insights, pummeling this keyboard with my fists.
So it’s probably pointless to track any sort of
progression here – let me just say that it’s an incredible global connection
Alrealon Musique has made in bringing together such disparate “noise &
electronic” artists. Sure, there’s wall of sound maelstroms and chaotic electronic
manipulation, but there’s also storm-clouds-in-the-distance creep and slightly
corroded human-voice spectrality. Everything is three-dimensional and tactile
in a way that gripping a rock and whipping it through the windshield of a car
is three-dimensional and tactile. Not to mention cathartic.
Anger, restlessness, tension, Psychotropes 2 has got it all, telegraphing a universal sense of
unease. From where I sit here in the United States, I’m amazed at how easy it
is to find common ground through sonic assault. I guess it just goes to show
you that, no matter what the language, we can still communicate via racket.
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