Hildur Gudnadottir, BJ Nilsen and Stilluppsteypa: three names that will mean nothing to most but everything to a small lucky few, as the three Scandinavians mentioned above are some of the finest sound artists working today, the accumulation of the creativity found masterfully recorded on their new album; ‘Second Childhood’, an album that masters the genre perfectly if not developing it a little further.
Opening with eerie cello playing created via the expertise of Gudnadottir, ‘It’s about the Size of a House’ sees the album tumble slowly into an atmosphere and ambience that is synonymous with the best drone music, cutting abruptly from a morose cello into a softer, less unsettling lo-fi piano piece. While some merely attempt to make harrowing, abrasive sounds, the maestros of the scene, like here, provide music that isn’t so didactically emotive, but rather aims to disquiet, ever evading simplistic feelings that one can latch on to and describe.
‘Temple of the Holy Tooth’ echoes the complexity of the previous track, demonstrating all three composers’ nuances with a balanced and composed style. Mixing field recordings of birds, a looming bass like hum and an ever so subtle industrial scratch turns ‘Temple of…’ into a fascinating listen.
While drone is considered to be and indeed usually is of a slow “droning pace”, ‘The Direction was Foggy or Cloudy’ surprisingly quickens the beat, creating a composition that is etched with purpose; adding to the unique take on the genre that Gudnadottir, Nilsen and Stilluppsteypa have created. Waves of electronic hums and hisses crash into the predominant sound creating an almost futuristic soundscape that toys with the imagination.
With artists such as Koner and Basinski already sharing dedicated admirers, there is no doubt that ‘Second Childhood’ will find its place in the hearts of many. But so much more is the album by these three sound masters that to compare it with any pre-existing artist would be to hamper its own uniqueness. A uniqueness that may be lost to newcomers of the drone scene yet loud and attention grabbing for those already accustomed to sitting back at the witching hour and witnessing the arbitrary visual stimuli that this sort of music never fails to conjure.
