These Nights Are Ours

  Temple of Khronos by Spire Chronometer - Alternating tones akin to a clock start off the album.  This isn't just a clock like you would hear in passing, this one has a sense of a countdown towards something ominous.  The way that it is produced really brings out a sense of dread.  That and the accompanying sound effects really build this up into something wicked.  By the end we have all sorts of distortion, guitars, subtle electronic effects and ultimately the clock.  The speed increases and increases until there is this horrible sense of whatever is hunting us has finally caught up.  We are now forced to face our doom.  Everything ends, and I get this picture of slowly turning around to face what has been chasing us as the track is silent and complacent in letting us face the horror to come.  Excellent intro. Hymn I - Tyrant - With as insane as the buildup was in the first track I was expecting something to absolutely pulverize me....

    “ The bleakest truth of existence is the lack of any form of falsifiable scientific, philosophical, or theological evidence to support the notion of free will. As far as anyone can tell, we're forcibly strapped into a one way trolley cart, which was set in motion some 14 billion years ago. Every choice, thought, action, belief, and value mechanically pre-determined at the dawn of the universe. Quite simply, you're but an insignificant cog in the cosmological machine and your suffering was scribed at a temporally unimaginable distance. ”  - V.S. anno 2021 It’s not often that one can bear witness to a descent into madness - a gradual loss of sanity and rational thought.  The human psyche is such a fragile thing.  A multitude of happenings may cause a mind to break, to lose touch with that common denominator that binds humanity together.   A philosophical breakthrough, a sense of lost control, or perhaps there never was anything to control in the first pla...

The deep dive is for readers who want to dig further into the album by reading the notes and pre-review interview that is done with each artist.  It is best read after the review. Muziek Voor Muren by AUT2M Notes Gekanteld - The song starts off with something akin to a horror movie chord, very eerie but isn’t necessarily indicative of everything that is to come.  Its quickly followed by a simple three note melody.  The chord reprises its role shortly after that.  Just when I thought this was going to be a pattern it gets switched up again.  The melody is expanded on, in almost a playful fashion.   Despite me being wrong about a pattern happening, what this does establish for the song though is the general structure. The chord will enter and leave the song at various places, followed by another melody.  At least for the first minute 45 of the song.  There is this tension in the way that the music has been created, conflicting elements.  T...

    Albums have as many themes as there are stars in the sky.  Many epic in scope, many simple.  Concepts  range from the eternal struggle of good vs. evil and dark vs. light to  the delicate and simple  wonders  a rainstorm can bring on a lonely evening.  I’ve heard thousands of albums in my lifetime, covering a multitude of motifs.  Yet, in all my time I have never come across an album with a subject such as this one. Muziek Voor Muren translates directly to “Music for Walls.”  I didn’t know what to expect with a name like that, and honestly I was a bit concerned.  An album based around static objects that largely do nothing during their existence gave me pause.  I expected disaster… but what I got was the opposite. AUT2M has explored many genres: vaportrap, hardvapour, dreampunk, and most recently ambient.  This wide musical buffet is birthed from a need to evolve, to grow.  “The music I make is often inspire...

  The deep dive is for readers who want to dig further into the album by reading the notes and pre-review interview that is done with each artist.  It is best read after the review. Transient by Kunisaki   Notes Good Night - The album starts off with a very quiet tone and rain.  The tone slowly builds into a soft synth pad that alternates between two chords.  This sets the foundation for the entire song and really gives a strong introduction to what the listener is going to be in store for the duration of the album.  The way that the two tones resonate really gives it a gentle wall of sound, it's not overpowering or even loud by any means, it's just all encompassing.  I really like the way that this is mixed. After the minimalist chord progression is established as the backbone we are the introduced into some twinking melodies.  The melody is simple and is not complex at all, but what it does do is further develop the concept and visual imag...

  It is a scarce occurrence when album titles strongly reflect the emotions and imagery contained within its run time.  I’m often left scratching my head as to why the specific wording was chosen to represent an artists musical vision.  Album titles such as When the Night Air Leaves or Opaque Lens World have driven me to inquire further with the artist as to their meaning.  However, this is not the case with Kunisaki’s debut album. The journey that Kunisaki has forged on Transient is a series of small glimpses into the lives and scenes of other people and locales.  The songwriting is deceptively simple.  Building on simple chords and sparse melodies, what is on display is a clinic in minimalism.  The majority of songs contain no sense of rhythm or percussion and feature airy and boundless synths.   The album’s fifth track, 最长的再见 , may be one of the strongest examples of the defining sound found on the album.  Starting with nothing but nat...