“Apana is a great musical adventure in the land of ambient rhythms and in the modern psychedelic universe of Martin NonStatic”
1 Apana Part 1 12:00
2 Kama 8:27
3 Apana Part 2 6:15
4 Mind Ctrl 6:35
(DDL 33:17) (V.F.)
(Down Tempo, Psybient)
It looks like 2020 will be a big year for Martin NonStatic! APANA is the first of 3 upcoming releases; either an album and another E.P. that would be more atmospheric than this one. This E.P. of more than 30 minutes places us directly in the sound spheres of Martin van Rossum. Either these rhythms, non-rhythms and these frames of rhythms living on dust and/or percussive effects in a sound fauna whose term psybient seems very pale in face of this album's reality. A mini album in line with what the Austrian musician has the sweet habit of offering us and which suits the universe of Ultimae Records so well.
On secret undulating waves, the armada of sound effects sets up their camp. Footsteps, metallic clicks, clinking of wood, percussive effects, trrrrift of crossbow shots, noises of swimming pool, aquatic ambience. The wealth at this level is limitless. I forgot about the white noises, the static crackles that wake up when the limp and weary rhythm of Apana Part 1 gives way to a kind of hip-hop around its 4th minute. Always uncertain, this rhythm is painted with sound rays and repeated rustling of rubber before plunging back into a brief phase of uncertainty. Martin tries another rhythmic assault. This time, the curt steps don't resist this circular sling which undulates fluidly, despite the abrupt rattles which constantly destabilize this sometimes fragile, rebellious and absent rhythm in a long 12 minutes where the complex and uncertain structure of Apana Part 1 is found forgotten in a corner of the swimming pool. The sustained rhythm in this delicious Psybient fauna comes with the approach of winner and lord of alleys of Kama. Kama which attaches itself to the threads Apana Part 1's ambiences by swimming in an atmospheric water where all the sound crackles allow us to fix our ears in our headphones. A spasmodic rhythm wakes up and makes this mass of creeping bass undulating in an informal language from which the first percussions are born. These strikes structure an ideal ambient rhythm so that the reverberating effects of the white noises and the floating hoops enter in our ears. An elastic effect distances itself from the stagnant percussions, propelling the rhythm towards a down-tempo which feeds on clicks and organic filaments, while educating itself with these structured rhythms on lost steps up until the reflections of crossbow shots. Injecting a new dose of surreal effects, Apana Part 2 focuses on a structure of ambient rhythm that seems so difficult to extract from its inertia. This good down-tempo is filled with echo effects in these percussions which collide like two large balls stuck in a gelatin bubble protected in its metallic envelope. Aquatic percussions whose distorted tones form an organic language that a delicate voice, always unreal, caresses with her absent murmurs. The music, and its soft rhythm, reaches a point of seduction that is difficult to overcome at this point. Elastic woohs and weehs intertwine in the Mind Ctrl's opening. Already the percussive effects, floating like duck wings brushing the water, interfere in this introduction, which is filled with voices whispering paranoia, while the woohs and the weehs trace the contours of a melody to come. Rolls of percussions on a metallic canvas structure a rhythm without forms which comes and goes, disintegrates and reforms in a texture of psychedelic ambiences which never on this E.P. seems to have come close to any point of saturation.
APANA is a great musical adventure in the land of ambient rhythms and in the modern psychedelic universe of Martin NonStatic and the Lyon-based label Ultimae Records. Faithful to his etiquette, Martin van Rossum takes us into his world of finesse and creativity with rhythmic forms dragging carcasses of sounds from another universe. It bodes well for his biggest year of creativity…
Sylvain Lupari (August 25th, 2020) ***¾**
Available at Ultimae Records Bandcamp