Eli Wallis — Autumn In The House Of Usher

Sitting somewhere between off-kilter/ uneasy ambient, and warbling ‘n’ baying electro improv Autumn In The House Of Usher is a three-track three-inch CDR from Vancouver-based Eli Wallis.

The release appears on Tampa’s based Inner Demons Records- who surely must be one of the prolific noise labels putting out physical releases at present, as this release is one of nineteen releases they put out in February of this year. The stamped three-inch comes presented in mini slip- with folded over monochrome printed card sleeve, and a hand numbering- the release is ltd to forty-two copies, which isn’t bad for an underground release- so if you fancy picking this up you should be able to do so by dropping by here.

The release is themed on/ based on a 1928 silent take on Poe's classic story The Fall Of The House Of Usher directed by James Sibley Watson  & Melville Webber. It’s a short that runs thirteen minutes, and is apparently a rather avant-garde take on the story- with odd-angled shots and warped scoping.

The three-inch opens with “Mirror Says”- this is a three-and-a-half-minute track built around a slowly spiralling at points blend of mid-range tonal unease and warbling pitch stretch. It nicely sets the tone of the release.
Next, we have “No Sunbeam Every Lies” this also comes in at the three-and-a-half minute mark. It finds a seesawing harmony- been topped with decidedly pressing/ loud mid to high tone pitch stretches.

Finally, we have the title track, which takes up the lion's share of the disc at fourteen minutes. This is built around a mixture of mid-to-high-pitched tonal whines, knocks, purrs and sears. All creating an effective feeling of odd, at points violent disquiet- which never fully puts you on even sonic ground.

Autumn In The House Of Usher is an effective three-track release- sitting in a nicely unbalancing place between creepy ambient oddness and warping-to-jarring electro unease.