TZEEEAC: Valerinne - Kunstformen der natur (2012)

October 23, 2012

Valerinne - Kunstformen der natur (2012)

Well oh well, I fucking knew this day would come. In my brief career as an internet music critic, I’ve written about almost every genre possible (including some ridiculously obscure ones, like this gipsy-electro-jazz-dubstep monstrosity). Except post-rock. Yep, this is my milestone. My Communion. My fucking Bar Mitzvah.

Valerinne is a post-rock/alternative band hailing from Bucharest, Romania, which apparently is the place where all the good music is born. It would be really easy for me to say that it’s a basic post-rock record and call it a day, but it isn’t , because it takes from so many genres that It’s really hard to label it. Their debut album, Kunstformen der Natur, contains hints of alternative, indie, electronic music an even stoner rock. I might be wrong about the latter, but my ignorance dictates that every piece of music that trips the fuck out me is to be associated with stoner, so lets just leave it at that.

Though lacking lyrics (obviously), the songs are very expressive and they burst of countless negative emotions, like depression, desperation and loneliness. It’s like walking alone through an endless nuclear wasteland, contemplating on the destruction surrounding you and being torn by a ruthless feeling of anxiety. More so, Kunstformen der Natur has the quality of sucking you in its grim universe, making you realize the futility of life and how fragile it really is. One misplaced step and bam, it’s over. Though this is the very purpose of post-rock - expressing various things and sending a strong message without using lyrics- I still find it admirable, like it’s a new, revolutionary idea. I can’t even imagine the effort and hours post-rock bands have to invest in order to express themselves purely by sound.

Further on, the instrumental work is top notch, like it should be, considering that the instrumentals are the very basis of this genre. The guitar, drums and bass and very well glued together, making for some ridiculously natural, unpredictable and complex song-progressions. Not once did my false superior, know-how-this-song-will-progress attitude got bashed in its face by a sudden change of rhythm. Now, just to be clear, this is not your standard mellow and slow post-rock album; no, the band goes craaaazy right after the song intros (which are like over 8 minutes long, by the way), unlike a few famous post-rock bands, which bore the hell out of me (Ok, I get how post-rock music works, but DUDES, holding a single chord for 8 minutes doesn’t make your music special or elitist). But put Valerinne on Wembley stadium, add some cool lighting effects and they’re ready to rock your world. Colossal guitar solos accompanied by killer riffs, hypnotic drumming, mesmerizing bass lines and deep, philosophical lyri--- Oh, wait. Shit.

In conclusion, there’s not really anything more to say about it because it’s more of a cerebral album rather than a tangible one. Be sure to check it out, otherwise you’ll be missing on one hell of an experience.