I'm starting to catch up with albums I've put off for quite a while now and first to go is Procession, the 'latest' (since it's already two years old now) offering from my favorite ambient artist, Johan Levin. If you're not familiar with the project, here's a review of one of his previous albums I did sometime ago. Take it with a pinch of salt.
'Procession' is, by right, quickly identifiable for anybody who has listened to DM before. and I'm happy to report that the style portrayed here is somewhat closer to the first released albums. The sound is somber, without any apparent hooks or bravados, yet it works well as the core structure is retained to electronic instruments only, throwing way any and all real life similarities one might think of (well, aside from the title track with its infectious melody). It will simply drone, buzz and churn away in an off-beat key, always leaving room for more.
And that's why I like it as much as any of Johan's previous efforts, even if it might not equal them in complexion or originality.
Stealing the spotlight for this week’s rather arbitrary
choice of music slab is the one man ‘band’ (and I say this lightly, mind you)
Desiderii Marginis, an entity solely composed of ONE man (duhh), by the name of Johan Levin,
who has been proudly releasing material under this moniker since 1993. I
personally discovered D.M at about the time this album was released and it was
also the first ambient recording I ever listened to, so it’s safe to say it had
a terrible impact on me (on the good side of terrible, that is).
I said ambient, didn’t I? Well that would be the simple way
to look at D.M.’s offerings; a more complicated explanation would be that it resembles
Chester’s choices of music that sounds like bears fighting with trash cans
inside an electrified cage, only slowed down to the point that you can actually
approach the bears, tap one on the shoulder and say “Herp derp, buddy bear,
mind if I join the ruckus? ”
Non-serious rambling set aside, Strife is an album that
holds only eight tracks, each and every one of them taking on the form of an apocalyptic
soundtrack to modern life, ranging from the dramatic crescendos on Blackout, to
melting your ears with repetitive_ machinery_ sounds_ that_ melt_ your_ ears on
A Failure at Liberty, rushing (more or less) rapidly through the mine inflicted
terrain and bomb runs on Nightraid and finally opting for a sojourn in which you
become a witness to apotheosis in the final track, The Sweet Hereafter (and
what a perfect name it takes on).
Boy, was that a mouthful. But the rest is up to you to
discover, since I’m not really the one to give too many spoilers. So find it,
listen to it, get all wrapped up in the drone infested atmosphere and finally
come back and tell me what a great recommendation this was. WORD.
Pros:
everything
Cons:
nothing
Highlights:
Blackout, Deceit, The Sweet Hereafter
Rating:
10 (Yes, I’m not afraid to say it, I can’t fault this album, try as I might. It
just IS that good in its genre.)
Track List:
Forlorn Pt
2
Blackout
A Failure
At Liberty
From Glory
To Where
In A
Nameless Place
Deceit
Nightraid
The Sweet
Hereafter
P.S: This was, by far, the most
listened to piece of music that I used while I was studying for my exams. I
used to get up at 3 or 4 AM and do a final revision for whatever a subject
matter, put my headphones on and set Strife on repeat while I read my notes. I
guess that says something about the album (or about the fact that I’m a
complete weirdo, but there’s no spoiler here).
