E.F Stoermer — Heterotrophic Microzooplankton Predation

Appearing May last year Heterotrophic Microzooplankton Predation is the 6th release from Peter Keller’s ( Geißt, Condo Horro, Dirac Sea, PTRKLLR, Kôan-Din, Unser Verhängnis) microscopic static/ lowercase noise wall project E.F Stoermer. The release appeared as either a CDR (which I’m reviewing) or a digital download.

The pro-pressed CDR comes presented in a glossy white card slip sleeve- this features ( both on its front cover & CD face) a picture of a Microzooplankton, which is a microscopic predator that attacks sea life. The sleeve is finished off with minimal grey/ black texts, detailing the releases title, and its runtime. The release is still available from the projects Bandcamp here 

The release features just a single self-titled track that runs for fifty-one minutes and twenty-eight seconds. And this is low case wall noise/ ambient texturing at its most reduced & minimal, with no noticeable change throughout its near on hour runtime. The track is built around a quiet and low volume mix of rattling ‘n’ rumble bound static, a distant set aquatic drone, and even more distant hiss. Together the elements create a fairly rapid, but very slight ‘wall’ which really needs to be played either in a noise-less space or via headphones at high volume. As you’d expect with this type of sonic work, you really need to lock in & focuses on each of the texture, how they flow, and their patterns. If you do,  you certainly do get the feeling of a mircosvoptic constantly burrowing, worming, or pushing its way into sea life, with Keller creating effectively touches of rattling brood and droning unease well.

I was extremely taken by this projects 6th release Stoermeria Californica, with its entrancing uses of liquid bound sound. And while Heterotrophic Microzooplankton Predation wasn’t quite as impactful or engrossing to my ears, it’s another very well nuanced and balanced example of the lower case wall noise form. And if you put the time/ effort/ concentration into it, you’ll find a wonderful eerier and uneasy vibe to the whole thing.

You’ll have to be accustomed and enjoy very minimal textured sound to get Heterotrophic Microzooplankton Predation- but if you do, I’ll think you’ll find this another worthy addition to the form with a nicely presented CDR.