Well, if this is not the “muted drone” release of the year, then tell me what is.
Born from a bilateral esteem for each other’s production, the two tracks conceived by Eleh and Richard Chartier for LINELEH last 73+ and 128+ minutes respectively. That means: urge your relatives to go somewhere else. It’s time for unsocial contemplation, the sort of sinking into the self that condenses rare subconscious fluids from the bottom impurities we’re ceaselessly subordinate to. The cleanup process of unsought scoriae is tough, but a correct aggregation of upper partials can pull off a miracle sometimes.
Having not studied Eleh’s entire output, the lingering sensation – once acknowledged the impressive wallop of his pulsating matters – has always been one of “mere event lacking a soul”. This might substantiate the project’s quasi-mystic anonymity in opposition to a degree of listener’s coldness. On the other hand, this writer cannot sleep without infinitely repeating “Black Mountain 1933” – a gorgeous low-frequency throb extracted from Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis II – in his earbuds. Those subsonic emissions work wonders indeed; the man definitely knows how to shuffle cables and set parameters for a complete invasion of the cranial conduits. Chartier’s renowned expertise in “tuning” a given space as in an immaculate auditory temple, in conjunction with a declared subliminal influence of humming refrigerators and the likes, constitute the ideal counterbalance for Eleh’s sinewy sinewaves (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun). Being not aware of eventual preliminary talks in regard to the sonic layout, we hypothesize files exchanged over and over, the artists gradually adding layers and shades. Anyhow, it doesn’t matter: the resulting radiations produce an improvement on all levels.
Don’t bother asking about descriptions, just remember that this moaning-and-quietly-burbling wonder repays loyalty. It’s environmental healthiness, it’s a fortifying cure for the bone marrow. A soundtrack for long hours of brokenhearted reflection, but also a shelter from perilous thoughts. It makes one notice the oblique light cutting the floor through the window, the dust that has been there for weeks, and the absolute unwillingness to alter that condition. It defends your right to isolation. Still, should you choose to air out the house – as I did – while surrounded by LINELEH, do not be surprised if you feel relieved when birds are heard chirping louder as they signal the upcoming spring.
MASSIMO RICCI. TOUCHING EXTREMES. 