Back-track through the catalogue of reviews thus far written by this here humble reviewer and one will undoubtedly take note that I have a soft spot for drone.
To describe why is a difficult matter, but presumably my love of cinema allows me to appreciate music that invokes feeling and abstraction rather than didactically forcing its own emotion on you. Secondly, and a feeling shared with Stephen Clover, alias Seht, is that simplicity can “be the most mind expanding drug around”.
Case in point: ‘Green Morning’, the New Zealander’s most recent drone recording.
Kicking off with ‘Valles Marineris’, Seht begins the piece with a powerfully loud bass hum that continues dominantly throughout the ten minute long track, building on the soundscape throughout to create a piece that not only demands attention but achieves it with awe.
‘Olympus Mons’ too is another epic length track, this time spanning around fifteen minutes. It opens with a fainter, quieter approach then ‘Valles Marineris’, using echoing sounds that fade in and out of hearing until eventually a haunting hollow hum begins to resonate, taking precedence within the composition’s structure and lifting you off, taking you, psychologically at least, to an unfamiliar, extraterrestrial landscape.
‘Way in the Middle of the Air’ meanwhile erupts immediately into a an industrial thunder, followed swiftly by another hollow humming sound, again sounding like the rumblings of some infernal machination and allowing you no peace until its loud twisted cycle is complete. Lastly then ‘Chryse Planitia’ comprises of a white noise static beginning which in turn develops into a nearly twenty minute mixture of drones, whines, buzzes and chimes, all the while keeping your absolute attention via the sounds powerful reverberation.
‘Green Morning’ is a brilliant composition that provides great movement in both music and soul. As heady as any hallucinogenic drug, Seht’s new release will have you traveling through space and time in a flash, though without the added side effects of taking too many mushrooms, which lets face it, can only be a good thing.
