“You may not be a fan of this style of music from Ian Boddy & Markus Reuter, but just give a shot to this Momento and I'm sure that you will be delighted”
1 Gyroscope 7:45 2 Spindrift 6:56 3 Linger 6:24 4 Memento 6:31 5 Vermilion 9:08 6 Deadlock 9:34 7 Stay 6:26 DiN52 (CD/DDL 52:58) (V.F.)
(Dark ambient on sequenced beats)
We may not be a fan of the genres, of what is released from the DiN studios, but if we give a chance to listen to an album of this factory of multicolored sounds, we find ourselves in the bench of the conquered ones. I fell in the Boddy & Reuter cooking pot after the surprising Derwish in 2009. I liked this atmosphere of King Crimson which scatters a strange music in a parallel universe. And since, it's always with an interest that I decorate my senses of this music which flirts with so many kinds without losing its identity. MEMENTO is the 6th opus, if we count the boning of Derwish with Unwound in 2010, from this duet of which the creative approaches are melting admirably well in a sonic envelope which enchants as much as which shakes our perception of contemporary EM.
A fluty breath floats with a beautiful perfume of serenity, while that slowly Gyroscope prepares the sound feast of MEMENTO. A line of sequences draws a structure of ambient rhythm which rises and falls with a tint of harmony in the tone. Heavy percussions fall, hammering a soft and slow rhythm which is the ideal companion to an envelope a bit dramatic which get free from this veil of ambient elements of Gyroscope. What jumps to the ears is this mass of sounds which converge on a linear movement from where the tears of a plaintive electric six-strings are floating. An example? The sequences are always swirling lightly, the percussions tumble and roll again, layers of voices and synth strata decorate a soundscape of paranoia of which the nuances sneak through and get lost in a sound revival which tries constantly to bind the threads of the sibylline ambiences which get free of Gyroscope and from all of MEMENTO. Afterward the structure of rhythm returns with a jerkier approach without really understanding too much how to builds up in an Electronica with a flavor of Darkwave without word. The breaths of voice will do in this hubbub, nevertheless so well structured, where sounds and music multiply in a Hertzian zone of control. The veil of these abstruse ambiences is transformed into the funeral march in Spindrift where the guitar of Markus Reuter reigns over a loud walking of the percussions. Separated by phases of very polychromatic moods, the movement goes in transit between a luciferian possession of the senses and onsets of rhythms which remain more intense than lively. Yes! A dark and intrusive music with phases of rhythms which raise constantly the passions. That's the music of MEMENTO! That's the music of Boddy/Reuter!
Linger, like Deadlock, offers these landscapes of black ambiences with long hoarse laments which build up themselves in an intense murmur of resounding and twisted drones. The guitar is edgy, in particular in Deadlock which is more infernal than Linger, creating more anonymous, more spectral lamentations in Linger but more viral ones in Deadlock. Besides, the finale of Deadlock is going to pin you to your earphones. The title-track is a pure delight with its Redshift, or Arc, movement of sequences and its King Crimson moods. A surprising fusion in a literally lively structure where the sequences adorn themselves of divine tones and where the guitar roams as a starving spectre. A great track! And Vermilion is also just as much with its thriving rhythm which sparkles on the agile skipping of crystal-clear sequences, and of its mesmerizing melody which is going to cuddle your senses for a long time after. The sound aestheticism is absolutely striking here with a less dark, but just as much obsessing approach, and with a skillful synth and guitar fusion which forges a fascinating envelope of vibes. After the deep immersion in the black territories of Deadlock, Stay is like a meditative and remorseful prayer further to the impressive luciferian approach of this cabalistic monument which is Deadlock. It’s one finale of ambient vibes with slow and wide waves of drones which wriggle like a huge worm avoiding the sharp blades of a threatening guitar. An invitation to make replay Gyroscope and to dive again, and always with more pleasure, into this universe of sound discoveries where we shall be rewarded and whose pinnacle, MEMENTO and Vermilion, requires a good dose of chthonian moods. And at this level, we are more than served with this wonderful album which is MEMENTO! In stores on next May 19th!
Sylvain Lupari (May 13th, 2017) ****½*
Available on DiN Bandcamp