ETVRNE/IZOLAT — Split

Opening with ETVRNE's four pieces, this split starts bleak and dreary, with a windswept piece of dark cloth showing strands of silver inlay with stark and poignant piano lines punctuating throughout. "The Journey" is an excellent beginning, if not a tad misleading, ETVRNE's opener plays quite a bit differently than the three tracks that follow, but it is a great way to set the mood. Heading into "The Forest Mass," the synths begin to build, and here is where the aforementioned "medieval" vibes begin to come forth. Building upon this, the synths also take on that familiar Italian prog tone, with a few different synth lines taking separate paths all while increasing the atmosphere of the song. With some of the themes carrying over, "Silence Amidst the Stones" features more prominent drums, giving this one a bit more of a New Age feel, although still sticking to the medieval motif like before. ETVRNE's final track, "The Weary Road," heads more into rock territory, but is certainly welcome evolution from the first to fourth track. Building off of the drums in the previous track, "The Weary Road" keeps them forward in the mix, ending his side with a nice, plodding piece that would certainly sound good alongside zombies shuffling forth to take out the yuppie townsfolk. 

 

Coming out of the confines of the castle, IZOLAT brings a bit hazier set of compositions, reminiscent of Mortiis' Født til å Herske. "Corridors of Despondence" is cold and isolating, with a somewhat dizzying quality that quickly brings the listener into its swirling depths. "Oubliette" may not be as oppressive as the torturous room for which it's named, but it does echo and intensify the loneliness from the previous song. Less of a dark dungeon and more of a walk through dark and haunting woods, "Oubliette" really hammers this sonic solitude home. Heading back to the circular, swirling bits of "Corridors," "The Spiral Staircase" uses its synthy repetition to build atmosphere, whether going up or coming down, that's up to the listener, but the haunting layers of reverberation give an ominous, ghostly echo that lingers and moves deep into the listener's psyche. Escape is imminent, and the closer "Finding the Path" gives more of that deep woods creepiness. In addition to the windy reverb, the almost animal-like flourishes remove that sense of isolation but definitely reinforce the fact that you are alone and alone and out in the darkness.

 

With eight tracks over two sides, ETVRNE and IZOLAT give some dark, synthy goodness that play at all the hidden corners of one's mind. Utilizing tones and structures that work more on the evocative end (say as opposed to provocative, I guess), the listener is given the opportunity to think and feel a number of ways and this can change with each ensuing spin. The perfect length to enjoy over and over again, but having the right length to allow each piece to have its own voice, this split between ETVRNE and IZOLAT is an excellent piece of dark, synthesizer driven music