Bass Communion — Ghosts On Magnetic Tape
The album consists of five long tracks of dark and eerier yet creepily beautiful tracks, each having it’s own distinct ominous, droning or chilling instrumental element at it’s centre with as the albums titles suggests tape sound and textured adding in for an often highly effective darkly atmospheric edge. Part one users a few well placed creepy piano notes over the shifting tape and pitch black drone cultures to create a tracks that brings to mind a more pressing, stretched out a sinister take on John Carpenters piano soundtrack moments. Part two user’s darkly hued and echoed single voice choir textures that are feed and melted into the tapes elements and drone pitches- the track really summons up a great melancholy old atmosphere. Part three starts off more tape bound and eerier with a revolving dark drone and strange guttural sound appearing with more frequency and depth as the track progresses- all to build up a great feeling of tension. Track four again starts off very tape and textured bound but slowly unfolds a mysterious and darkly potent horn like drone that feels like a mix of darkened jazz like smokiness’ and creepy eastern promise, as the track goes on more obvious brooding orchestral string loops are introduced.
Lastly we have part five which is also the longest part here at near on 19 minutes, utilized here once more are of course tapes elements but in a much more varied form taking in more muffled musically elements, tape grain and unfold, flute textures by Theo Travis and a repeated almost aquatic like sound, as the track goes on a brighter more harmonic drone textures takes hold. Though the track has it’s moments it feels less darkly potent as the other four tracks and a little too bright and positive, it also feels a bit too long for it’s own good.
The second remix disk by Andrew Liles finds the work switching between beeb ghostly and drone based, and more manic and noisey.With the elements been sonically rubbed, smeared and blurred into each other. Though like the original album there are five tracks this really works as one long sonic unfold with less an defined sound element or textures between each track. Liles user’s elements from all of the pieces to create his own take on the work and he also adds in some sounds textures of his own like water sounds, weird electo voice, noise elements,etc. It feels less dark and ominous than the original been more darkly psychedelic / surreal and at times quite hectic and dense ride- it’s an interesting take on the material with some rewarding moments played as a whole, but I prefer the original album more.
The double disk stiff card packaging nicely tops off the darken Sonics inside with pictures of darkened grave yards and greenery. So all in all an compelling and darkened two disk slice of atmosphere and sonic cinematics primed for darked trips into the night and ones own psyche.