[BOLT] & Growth — Split

This is a split tape between two German ambient / drone artists. [ B O L T ] offer up the first three tracks. Utilising two bass guitars these tracks are described as “exploring the wilder side of ambient sounds”. This simply isn’t true.

Opening with 24 this is a ten minute foray into a repeating bass line that after five minutes finally has something added to it to break the monotony, sadly this is just a light flurry of distortion boarding on feedback, this is a lacklustre attempt that neither explores the a wild side not goes anywhere near ambience.

Following this we have Bridge, a two minute track that starts off as distorted bass before becoming a pulsating beat with the shadow of a note drifting across. Actually this second half of this track isn’t too bad, mainly because the whole track doesn’t last too long!

Finally for [ B O L T ] we have 16 - seven minutes of shoegazer noise and a single note being plucked repeatedly. Thanks god that’s over with.

Next up we have GROWTH, a one-man-and-his-guitar-project from Lars Ennsen of Black Metal band Sun Worship – 2 tracks of ambience Inverted Horizon 1 & 2. Number 1 is 9 minutes of a deep drone that develops very subtly to bathe you in a swathe of almost darkness;  you can still see a chink of light in the near distance. Number 2 is somewhat higher pitched and consequently doesn’t have quite the depth to 1. Again it’s a slow developing drone piece that over it’s near 8 minutes becomes quite beautiful. It’s not sinister or unsettling. Drone done well can encapsulate and keep you lost in it’s fog. These two tacks both achieve that sense.

Overall, and as with a lot of "split" releases, this is a mixed bag. Growth are certainly the more enjoyable experience, and I’d give them a 3 out 5. [ B O L T ] just don’t do it for me at all. I don’t get the point of it, because I don’t think there is a point to get. 1 out of 5.