I’ve always enjoyed split releases. Typically they’re like getting two eps for the price of one, and can often serve as a great (not to mention cost effective) way to discover new artists. Afterall, if a band/artist you already respect deems another, lesser known band/artist worthy of sharing a release, chances are you just might enjoy that lesser known musician as well. Such is the case with this split release between A Death Cinematic and Sons of Alpha Centauri.
Sons of Alpha Centauri lead off the album with a single lengthy track, comprised of ambient pieces the band uses as interludes during their live set. Although I am not familiar with their other works, if these ambient pieces are anything to go on, I will definitely be checking out their back catalogue in the near future. Although presented as one track, each interlocking piece has a separate title (“Solar Flare”, “Hemera”, “Ocean Floor” and “Transmission”) and one can discern where each begins and ends. However, instead of coming off as incoherent or disjointed, these pieces flow into one another perfectly, like separate movements of a larger whole.
What is most interesting about Sons of Alpha Centauri’s contributions to this split are the eerie, dread-laden feelings they are able to conjure. There is a queasy, horror-film vibe to the work that reminds of John Carpenter’s soundtrack work, or perhaps some of what Goblin did for Dario Argento’s films such as Suspiria and Deep Red. Indeed, fans of Goblin, or any of those famously creepy synthesizer fuelled soundtracks, not to mention more recent albums from the likes of Zombi or the various projects of Sigh keyboardist Mirai Kawashima will find much to enjoy within the confines of the Sons’ contribution to this split.
A Death Cinematic follows with two tracks possessive of an entirely different vibe, yet no less satisfying. Armed with his signature setup of a guitar, amp and various effects boxes, ADC conjures a bleak, post-apocalyptic vibe with his minimalist take on ambient/drone. Having very recently reviewed ADC’s impressive double album A Parable on the Aporia of Vengeance and the Beauty of Impenetrable Sadness, I wondered how these two tracks would compare and was pleasantly surprised to find the artist still exploring his familiar sound, yet taking it down avenues previously unexplored on A Parable…
ADC’s two tracks here, “We brave the storms while our lands fall into the sea beneath the pandemonium of the sun…” and “And these nights have brought us something worse.” are easily his heaviest material to date. This is due to the emphasis on doomy, distorted guitar-work and feedback that ties the two pieces together. It is as if ADC has assimilated Dylan Carlson’s tectonic riffing circa the Earth2 album and buried it under layers of sonic grit and grime, creating a truly suffocating atmophere in the process.
Indeed, atmosphere is the name of the game for ADC, and it is almost as if his body of work comprises one lengthy, wordless narrative. If A Parable… represents the desolate days immediately following the end of the world, then these two tracks are the myriad horrors that await the survivors weeks and months down the road, if there is one. Yet in spite of this ashen doomsday aura, once again the slightest glimmer of hope can be perceived within the confines of ADC’s work. It is as if the artist deliberately inserted just a pin prick of light, shining through the suffocating despair so minutely that most will blink and miss it. This is what ADC does best, express a wealth of feelings and complex emotions with seemingly the simplest of sonic tools, and these two tracks capture this in spades, making them a great introduction to his work for the neophyte or yet another satisfying addition to his catalogue for the avid fan.
Of course, one cannot discuss anything A Death Cinematic touches without mentioning his design alter ego, Simple Box Construction, and the exquisite handmade packaging that accompanies his sonic alchemy. It truly feels as if you’re holding a piece of functional artwork in your hands and it is a joy to see the same painstaking effort that characterizes the music be applied to the visual/presentation side. This further drives home the notion that this split release was a labor of love for everyone involved.
From sonics to artwork, this split release is a great way to experience two different sides of the ambient/drone music coin at their finest. As with all A Death Cinematic’s work, it is an extremely limited edition pressing, so be sure to act quickly if you wish to add this exquisite piece of audio/visual art to your collection.
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