RST — The Sunset Limited

Here we have a Utech release by RST called The Sunset Limited. Rich drones that don't lack substance. Eight of them on one CD, in fact, so unfortunately, I really don't think RST gives each track enough time to reach it's full potential. The drone genre is so overloaded with boring crap, and RST's material sticks out amongst the crowd with it's tasteful layering and ability to be eerie as hell without being too melancholy. I just wish that, for meditative and "zoning-out" purposes, each composition lasted longer. This would give the listener more of a chance to really take in everything RST is doing.

Other than the lengths that I have a problem with, the content is pretty good. Throughout the CD, you'll hear a little bit of vocals, yet manipulated to an inarticulate form. Mostly, I hear distant, reverberated synths that don't change root notes, some guitar and occasional samples or field recordings of little things here and there that I can't quite make out. This could just be all synth but I like how the artist layers in a small, pleasing amount of other elements to keep these compositions unique and with a little more substance.

Tracks like The Cult and Secret Fires have a bit of grittiness to them that is keeps the drones from being completely relaxing. On the other hand, tracks like Chrome and Phantoms are warmer, softer, even less busy, and just seem to float steadily, barely moving.

Alien Years is definitely the stand out track. There seems to be a low, droning, distorted bass holding down the fort, most likely looped, while some psychedelic, panning, phased, delayed, lightly overdriven and reverberated guitar (I think it's a guitar, anyway) tinkering is sprinkled over most of it. While the bass note pretty much stays the same aside from a little wavering into quarter and half steps, the melodies dance through several octaves of the minor scale. Alien Years reminds me of what you might hear if Sunn O))) and The Grateful Dead ever collaborated.

All in all, this didn't move me a whole lot, although it didn't really bore me either. It is good, and fans of drone and psych will probably enjoy it... unless you've heard ten thousand drone projects like I have... then, it may sort of fade in with the rest of the good ones instead of being one of your favorites.