Chier — Nature Morte
The release comes in two forms: a double CDR, and a digital download- the CDR features four tracks, but the digital version only features one of the four tracks. The CDR came in an edition of 12 copies, and as of writing there are still some copies left. I’m reviewing the CDR version.
The CDR’s each come in their own separate clear sleeves, and each features a monochrome inlay slips- these come together to create a old picture of a skull, hourglass & flower. The two separate sleeves both come in a DVD sized slip sleeve, which features murky ‘n’ grim black & white pictures of skulls, etc.
So first up on disc one we have "I", and this forty five minute track is built around a selection of fairly similar flapping & buffeting textures. These fall in the fairly narrow lower to mid range scale, with each been fairly thin & often ragged in their feel. Base wise the ‘wall’ is fairly rapid, and fixed- though as it progresses it does seem to get more raging & battering( but that could be my imagination). The whole thing summons up visuals of a bleak & wind ravaged graveyard in late autumn or winter, and sets the tone nicely for the rest of the release.
Next up we have "II", and this brings together the following: A crusty tumbling judder. A buffeting crisp jitter and some thin & descending crackles. Tonally this just over thirty minute track is fairly similar to the last track, but the way the patterns are weaved together creates more of a trapped & hopelessly flapping feel. Once again this is a fixed affair, with the textural patterns really staying on the same path through-out.
Moving onto disc two, and we have the tracks "I"(which is the only track on the digital version of the release), and "II". The first track comes in at the thirty minute mark, and it sees a tight, meaty & piling-on judder, being blended with a selection of thinner buffeting ‘n’ jittering static textures. At around the eleven minute mark this rolling & slightly rumbling noise drone can be made out in the guts of the track, and this nicely amps up the grim taunt-ness of the whole thing. The ‘walls’ a great blend of tension, morbid bleak-ness, and grim unrelenting-ness.
The second track on disc two takes in a thirty seven minute runtime. It opens with meld of stretched out sways ‘n’ billows- these have pretty much the same tonal range, and create this nice feeling of pulling & pushing that is with out resolve. By around the 3rd minute a more defined low-end churning ’n’ buffeting texture has appeared, and it seems to slowly build in depth & speed. By around the six & a half minute mark this texture is much more of central focus in the ‘walls’ lay-out, and as the track continues it really gives the feeling of a rising & building storm force- with more growing sways & judders built into the 'wall'. At the 12 minute another layer of galloping yet fairly lose judder is added into the mix, and the whole ‘wall’ seems to become more loser & defined in it’s layer make-up again- with layers seemingly fighting for prominence in one mind. At the fourteen minute mark a battering & hammering static rain sway in added to the mix, and this nicely brings back the more grim & weather based feel of the opening track, but now instead of been out in a graveyard in a windstorm your now in skin stinging rain. As the track progresses this new texture seems to sink back in slightly with the other textures, though you can still clearly make out it’s spiting & spiteful edges. From here on the rest of the ‘wall’ finds slow movements & subtle layer shifts with-in it’s mass, and it’s fair to say this is the most active of all the tracks here.
So in summing this releases offers up a mix of fairly fixed & more active walled noise- each of the four tracks is effective, and together they create a suitable grim & intense sonic statement fitting the themes of death.