Fouke — Rakshas
The release appears on Mr Ramirez own label H Series HNW- I’m reviewing a digital download of the release, so I can’t comment on the packaging. But I can tell you its ltd to 15 copies in it's physical form.
On the tape we get two tracks- Part I & Part II- but the digital file just comes as one long track. The ‘wall’ starts off with a blend of deep-yet-muffled tunnelling noise drone & slow-mo rip ‘n’ judder bound static. As the track progresses more similar toned sub-layers are added, and this creates the feeling like there are multiple ‘things’ tunnelling/ worming along- all with this bleak ‘n’ barren noise drone, which seems to becoming more & more distance as the track moves on. In my mind the track brings to mind either big foots crawling through dense & tightly weaved forest, or some kind of blend of a Mole & Bigfoot( does such a thing existent in legend?!) making it’s way underground.
At around the 9th minute the sonic picture seems so much deeper & dense, and one starts to feel somewhat disorientated (as I’m sure you would be if you where lost in a forest) - as the similar toned rip ‘n’ judder tones blend. The next noticeable shift happens around just before the 15th minute mark, just when you think the rip ‘n’ judder elements can’t build any higher- the whole thing thins & pares back, focusing more on the muffled drone elements- with a few skittering ‘n’ slurred judders ‘n’ rumbles on top…almost like the amplified sound of slowly cracking earth.
By the twenty first minute Ramirez has narrowed the ‘wall’ right down to just a line of ultra muffled organic drone, blunt rumble, and taut ‘n’ tumble judder. The whole thing feels very airless, total barren, and more than a little unsettling. As we move one from this point the sub-tone layers start to multiple once again- though it still keeps fairly focused ‘n’ drilling in it’s feel. In the tracks last few minutes we pare back to almost just the drone, as things fade back.
Once with Rakshas Ramirez has once again created another perfectly controlled & highly skilful example of moody wall-craft. I can’t say that it stands as one of my favourite Fouke releases, as the layer make-up didn’t quite hit that sweet spot for me…but I think that’s more a personal preference than any comment on the ‘wall-craft’ it’s self.