Artist: Abstractive Noise
Title: Of The Adders Bite
Label: Abstractive Records
Release Date:
9th December 2013
This release is described as
a concept album in which the main ‘character’ a male in his normal form is
trapped in a gigantic machine-world that is revealed as a woman (or a woman in
the form of this machine). Where all the tracks represent a journey through
this unfamiliar ‘world’. Each chapter implies the understanding of the protagonist’s
journey. The first chapter is the awakening and realisation of the machine’s
existence. The second chapter is the struggle for escape and the last the
understanding that there is no way of doing so.
Bearing the above in mind I’m
aiming to see if the music can conjure the up the feelings or visual
representation of this plot to myself as the listener. So without further ado
(and lacking popcorn) I’ll begin.
Chapter I: Wanderer
The first track aptly named ‘Outcast’
begins with a distorted orchestral build up fusing cellos, triangles and sparse
kick drums. Cellos for me can easily bring a sense of sadness which can easily
be related to an ‘outcast’ but not necessarily a ‘wanderer’. However, I find
the piece quite pleasant and it fits well enough to the theme for me. The
second track ‘Machine (Phase I)’ starts rather abruptly and utilises classical
strings to an almost ear-piercing level with engines, slamming and whirring
clock cog samples with underlining ambient atmospherics which make it almost
impossible not to imagine machinery in action. Machine (Phase II) brings in the
percussion and begins to pull the ambient atmospherics to the fore front
dropping the samples as the horn section takes over. For me this adds to a
sense of foreboding and is quite cleverly constructed However, I lost the sense
of the mechanical world.
Chapter II: The Adder
The track begins with dark
gloomy synths and rolling percussion before the accompanying cello and fits aptly to the title of the track ‘Trap” the enveloping sound certainly brought a
sense of claustrophobia from within me (whether this is something ingrained into
the psyche from film, television and theatre is another discussion). The title track
(well the first movement at least) begins with soothing piano soon accompanied by
a distorted and elongated classical drone which serves to confuse the senses i.e soothing piano, irritating drone but when the strings begin and even though the
track never really settles I find myself beginning to enjoy the piece. This
chapter finishes with the track ‘Vengeance’ where the previous theme continues
but with distorted percussion and when it drops plucked strings are utilised to
great effect before the strings and percussion amalgamate before tailing off again
at the end.
Chapter III: Ancient Riddle
The first track is this
chapter ‘Poisonous Well’ begins with chimes dropped over an ambient drone and
sections of compressed drums with layers of synth sounds which add an electric
guitar feel in places. This leads nicely into the 2nd movement of the
title track, where we return to the melancholic cello and ambient atmospherics.
The final track ‘Of Betrayed and Betrayers’ utilises orchestral bass chords and chimes
which adopt a classic sense of walking or indeed wandering and searching (which
I can’t help feeling would have suited the theme of the first Chapter). The
notes get deeper and seem to almost overlap adding a slight intensity as
strings clicks and (I’ll hazard a guess at) an elongated sousaphone are added which
at first drew a feeling of anxiety but soon levels out bring a more soothing
feeling achieving the sense of acceptance.
To summarise this album is
cleverly constructed over a period of time and fits the theme of the proposed
subject matter. Is it an album I’d return to again and again to be honest
probably not? However, it was an interesting and somewhat dark journey which
draws on emotions so that I felt was worth spending the time to experience.
Review by Woodzee
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