Ákos Rózmann — Images of the Dream and Death

This new release of "Images of the Dream and Death" is the work in its fourth version, reworked at the Elektronmusikstudion (aka EMS) in Stockholm in 2001 (if you are unfamiliar with the studio its worth looking into).  The first version of the work was created between 1974-1977 made using Buchla synthesizers and I can't help but wonder which ones, since Buchla was the creator of many strange instruments, most of which are difficult to come by.  The artist states that the work is a portrayal of Good and Evil and it certainly seems to move its way through this territory and many others.

The collection begins with a cavernous whimpering sound that moves in and out of spectral shifts.  This goes on for quite some time and brings to mind nitrous-oxide hallucinations, as if the whimpering woman is floating downwards through a drug induced cloud.  This peaceful flow in both directions is randomly interrupted by the almost startling reintroductions of the glass like spectral splintering which gives way to warm waves of oscillation.  Eventually this all leads us to a very brittle almost painful sounding section, as if slinkys are being tortured in purgatory, all very metallic and uncomfortable.  The metal morphs into breaking wood and then that warm pulse takes over again, but we realize it is not a warm pulse it is demon howls rising, weaving there way through the blankets of noise.  The different motifs discussed above are repeated throughout the piece with subtle timbral changes occurring throughout, angry cats and Godzilla even make an appearance.  
 
As we move further into the work the changes begin to come more rapidly and range from glass chewing painful sounds to calm wooden vibrations near an underground creek to critters in a gymnasium, spreading the gambit of emotions and landscapes.  This three LP set runs for over two hours and is quite a journey.  I highly recommend listing to this release on good speakers as is is too dynamic for headphones (unless you feel like changing the volume frequently).  What strikes me most about these recording is the odd way in which the sounds chameleon their way between sounding very electronic  and sounding perfectly organic.  If synths were the only instruments used then Rózmann is a master of synthesis.