Impermanence — Hartlepool
The release appears on northern English wall noise label Void Singularity Recordings- it appeared as either a CDR, or digital download. The pro pressed CDR comes in a jewel case, and takes in starkly monochrome artwork- that features pictures of smoke engulfed seaside/industrial landscapes, what looks like children playing in bomb sites, and a group of 1940’s men. As far as I can gather the release's theme is the WW1 bombing of Hartlepool in December 1941- which led to the death of one hundred and thirty people and the injury of many more including damage to many buildings. The CDR version of this release came in an edition of fifteen copies, and as of writing the label still, have copies to purchase from their Bandcamp here
As far as I can surmise Impermanence is a project from Thailand- it started in early 2019, and has so far released a handful of mainly digital releases. This is my first taster of the project's work, and I must say I’m impressed by its gloomy and stark take on walled noise.
The release takes in four roman numeral numbered tracks- and each of these come in at spot on the fifteen-minute mark. Opening up the release we have "I"- which very much summons up walking through ruined and smoking cityscapes after the nukes have dropped- we have a constant flow of thin popping & snapping static grain, this is underfed by a distant blend of siren-like sweep & barren rumble. By "III" things have become slightly touch by more hauntingly melodic edges- with a stretched and wavering bell-like tone, which is surrounded by slowly rolling drone starkness and choppy/ feasting static patternation. Through by the final track "IV"- all hope and vague melody are gone- as we find a murky mixture of churning drone meshes, and insect-like textural detail that takes in descending micro feasting, rattles, and ash like settles. It really does feel like the end of the world, as everything and everyone is engulfed by eternal burning mass fire, and slow waves of ash constantly descend.
Though Hartlepool very much sits in the ambient/ ANW bracket- there’s really nothing soothing, hopeful or peaceful here- this is a work to summon up images of city ruin, life loss and despair, and at that it’s most successful- as Impermanence nicely balances the bleak ambient ebbs and drifts with nicely defined & rewarding static detail. I’ll certainly be checking out more of this projects work, and I look forward to new releases from the project.