PTRKLLR — Boreal

Appearing in April of this year Boreal is a two-track CDR from Seattle, Washington based PTRKLLR. And what’s on offer here is detailed & controlled textured/ambient noise making, with a decidedly cold ‘n’ crisp natural vibe.

This self-released CDR comes presented in  a glossy black & white slip- this takes in sonic mood fitting pictures of snow & mist bound mountainscapes, and a snow-covered building with frozen waterways in front. PTRKLLR is one of the projects of highly creative noise-maker Peter Keller- also of Condo Horro, Dirac Sea, Geißt, Kôan-Din, & Unser Verhängnis.  PTRKLLR has been putting out work since 2017, so far releasing five full-lengths & a few shorter releases.

Each of the tracks here is fairly lengthy excise in highly moody & carefully controlled textured noise- with each falling between thirty-two & thirty-five-minute mark. First up we have "Septentrional Escapement", and this really does feel akin to been inside a rapidly melting & cracking block of ice- as Keller builds up a very complex & at points dizzying sonic map of various pops, snap, creaks & cracks, with the whole thing been underfed by what sounds like subtle liquid drips & drops. In my mind, I’m getting images of either someone trying to get across a rapidly thawing iced waterway- or literally something fairly large tunnelling it’s way through a solid mass of frozen water. Through-out Keller keeps the pace of the textures fairly rapid & consistent, and it’s only in its last minute of so that the creaking ‘n’ cracking flow seems to slow slightly before ending.

Track two comes in the form of ”Toute La Vie Dans Le Nord”, and this has slightly more pared-back, at points brooding in feel, compared to the busy detail of the first track. Here we find a mixture of distant churning semi-industrial drone, which is topped with a more spaced & varied collection of creaks, snaps, pops, drags & rips- all tipped with slight running water undertones. If the first track felt active & a little panicked in it’s feel- this feels a lot more considered, reducing, and well melt bound- as if you are watching the remains of a once-massive ice block break-up & melt in the bright winter sunlight.

I must say I rather enjoyed the textural yin & yang of Boreal as a release.- with the taut & tense first track nicely sitting alongside the more pared-back & lulling detail of the second track. Another very creative & thoughtful take textured/ ambient noise-making from Mr Keller.