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artist: Monolith Zero/Never Presence Forever |
Two tracks each from two American artists make up this
CD from the 804 Noise collective of Richmond, Virginia.
Monolith Zero is Adam Hudson, who I hadn't heard before, and whose work I'll
be seeking out more of in the future based on the two monstrous electroacoustic
pieces on this disc. I'm not sure what Hudson's musical background is, but
his work here has much in common with Tod Dockstader's incredible early 60's
pieces not to mention the starker work of pioneers like Parmegiani and Bayle
- imagine that sort of approach to composition and dynamics mated to sound
material more in line with the likes of Francisco Lopez or even Whitehouse,
and you'd be getting close to forming an idea of what Monolith Zero sounds
like. Tense, quiet passages are drawn out nearly to the breaking point, only
to be interrupted by sharp, rapid-fire noise bursts. Sounds hover on the upper
and lower limits of hearing. There's an absolute mastery of dynamics and composition
on display here, and I'm looking forward to hearing where Hudson goes next.
Never Presence Forever ends up sounding very undynamic and unimaginative by
comparison - the two pieces may have been better served by placing the Monolith
Zero tracks second rather than first. Upon closer listening, there's actually
more going on than at first meets the ear. 'Searching for Heaven in the Face
of Hell' seems to be built on some backwards piano chords; unfortunately it's
hard to make out much detail under the layer of thin, digital distortion that
dominates everthing and eliminates whatever subtlety in evidence. 'Living
With Regret Without Regretting To Live' has a more open, deeper sound, and
keeps the tinny digital noise to a minimum apart from a short section in the
middle, but never really rises into anything interesting. Despite the lacklustre
work by NPF, I still recommend purchasing this CD just for the Monolith Zero
tracks. Lovers of hard electroacoustic or acousmatic sound will not be disappointed.
