Rudolf Eb.er — NECRO ORGIA

Here we have a new release from prime sonic unsettler Rudolf Eb.er. Since the 1980s this Austrian sound artist has carved out his only highly distinctive and unnerving sound world, and NECRO ORGIA is another half-hour trip into unease, dread and sonic fear.

The release appears as either a C30 tape or a digital download- I’m reviewing the latter. Apparently, the tape is pro-dubbed on red shells, with black and clear norelcos, pro-printed covers and labels- this had an edition of 120 copies, and as of this review the label still has copies- and these can be purchased just here. The releases cover takes in a very murky and dark picture of a human hand holding up a bloody brain- which of course nicely hooks into the sonic unsettlement of the release.

The release takes in two tracks- each hits at dead on the 14.45 mark. First up we have "NECRO ORGION I-VII", it opens with an eerier creaking/ droning tone, which sounds like it’s some form of electro pinched 'n' stretched string drone- appearing fairly soon behind this we have this creepy guttural like chatters. But don’t get too (formally) uncomfortable, as Eb.er. sudden drops us into jarring moments of silence, before once more returning again- either adding in or subtracting an element from the creep soundscape. So we get church organ-like sustains, pouring rain sounds, spaced 'n' chilling percussive hits, weird grunts/ animal chuckles, buzzing flies, eerier rubbing tones, distant howls, weird electro tones, reed-like lashings, water trickle, etc. Throughout the track, one is kept both unease and truly on edge- as you really don’t know when the sound with cut out when it will return, and what will have changed.

Next, we have "NECRO ORGION VIII-XIV", and here we open with a blend of a sustained church organ, slow sawing tones, and odd gurgling’s. As we move off the creaking droning appears again, and just when you think it’s all going to get very intense, he drops out to just fly buzz. This track/ selection of parts is more about building, then sudden dropping out or thinning back with its dread-filled sonic landscapes- and once more these shifts often happen in a sudden manner. There feels like there is less complete silence on this track, and as a result, the whole thing feels even more unsettling/ uneasy- also on this track he seems to be utilizing more strange textural scraps, drags and saws- but we still have the returning elements from the first part, though with more really unsettling additions like distant female screams.

NECRO ORGIA is another rewarding trip into extreme audio unease, with some real tangible moments of jarring fright and terror along the way. With this release, Rudolf Eb.er utilizes horror sound tropes in a highly unnerving and chilling manner, and if you want to truly unsettle yourself this coming Halloween- this release will certainly help.