Ab’bhau – Devastaciones Bajo El Fulgor Del Vacío (Vinyl, 12″) Label: CAVSAS – CS004 Format: Vinyl, 12″, Album, Limited Edition Country: France Released: 25 Feb 2022 Style: Black Metal, Dark Ambient, Doom Metal, Drone
Ab’bhau’s debut album was forged in fire in the year 2018 after mysterious live apparitions and rehearsal sessions. The aim behind this first exploration was void invocation, void materialization.
The project is formed by established musicians of the Spanish underground noise, experimental, and metal scene. Connections to bands and projects like Black Earth, Suspiral, Inhumankind, Phicus, Triple Zero, Gárgara, or Sudaria can be traced.
The ritualistic essence of this artistic incarnation is based upon the rupture of repetitive patterns through improvisation as a medium to convey abject forces into the shape of what the band has called ‘Black Metal Destruktion’, stemming Heideggerian terminology. A form that appears to disappear or to be registered, but impossible to reproduce.
Even though the recordings vary on the album formats, they are the same album, the same whole, the same essence… exhaled through three different forms of sonic manifestation. Artwork by Heresie Studio.
Philippe Blache – The Ever Sounding Sea Of Grief Label: Triple Moon Records Format: CDR, Album Country: France Released: 2023 Style: Dark Ambient, Darkwave, Electroacoustic, Industrial
Come in ecopack 2 panels with photos by Natalie Ina
« The ever sounding sea of grief » is a cathartic and spiritually uplifting musical journey. Partly abandonning the lyrical component which was central in previous releases of his musical project «Day Before Us» Philippe Blache introduces here a slight new stylistic turn. This album makes incursions within the world of avant gardism, noise ambient and modern classical minimalism with a subtle cinematic edge. It can be appreciated as a purging ritual mainly built around harrowing reverb piano key, blackened skies of droney textures, then majestic organ patterns within a foreboding sonic spectrum. Those lengthy tracks feature additional arrangements as spoken words. As for the last «Day Before Us» album to date the striking visual imagery is provided by forward-thinking artistic collaborator and multi-talented Natalie Ina. «The ever sounding sea of grief» is a thrilling and colossal poetical/musical drama of overwhelming expressive intensity.
Lyrics from Anna Kingsford (1848-1888)
Reeds in the river! reeds in the river! O deep in my heart like the reeds in the river, My thoughts grow in darkness, far down out of sight, And over my life passes shadow and light, Like sunshine and cloud on the breast of the stream, But I sit by the banks of my river and dream, For day after day, they grow silent and strong, –– The reeds of my Syrinx, the reeds of my song! ____________________________
Slowly athwart the grey empurpling heavens The bearded evening clouds swept slowly by With ghostly arms outstretched, and shadowy robes Curling around them; one by one they passed In sad procession, solemnly and still; A crowd of phantoms following to the tomb The fair departed Day. ______________________________
All the sweet odours of silence, that rise Up from the world to the musical skies, And the voice of the waters that swell and sink Speaks through the distance, and dimly I think Of that fathomless ocean of Time and Fate Bearing us onward and on without cess Into the dark mysterious Never, Spirit to spirit, the small and the great Into the Sea of Forgetfulness, The sea that rolls and rolls for ever!
Concept, music and arrangements : Philippe Blache (Day Before Us) Narrative: Olga Gabris Photos artwork: Natalie Ina Mastering: Giuseppe Verticchio
In depth interviews with: Am Not, Cloister Recordings Himukalt, Ochu, Pterygium, & Tone Generator (of SPK & Last Dominion Lost). A series of six previously unpublished SPK group photos, taken at The Brickworks, Sydney, March 1982. Collage artwork by Richard Stevenson. 50 in depth music reviews (ambient/ industrial/ experimental / power electronics etc.).
FORMAT
A5 Format. Professional print, colour cover, grey-scale throughout. ‘Perfect bound’ spine, with matt laminate, thick card stock cover. 94 pages in length. Limited to 600 copies.
