Sleep Of Ages/Atara​xy — Double Feature
“Escape From Zombie Planet” is Sleep Of Ages in full-on, sci-fi noise mode. He sets his stall out from the very start, with definite “noise” elements being used - and a clear “noise” context - but the overall sound being dominated by stressed synth lines and bleeps. This very effectively conjures up a sci-fi feel, whilst deploying his tools with “noise” methodologies. So we have spacey synth noises echoing through the tracks, but often made stretched and distorted; pulled by oscillation, or the recording process, to the point of breaking. He layers these sounds into an often cacophonous sprawl, but sometimes pulls back and lets them breath a little; the first track, “From Earth To The Stars, And Beyond!” (for example), sees the skree clear near it’s mid-section - revealing an eerie bed of cosmic disquiet: the computers on a spacecraft talking to each other. Even during overt “noise” sections, these sci-fi elements lurk in the background - they’re never fully abandoned until the final track. In fact, there are even overt melodic passages, where Sleep Of Ages marks out quiet tunes and harmonies - something which adds great weight to his half of the split. The third track, “The Starship Can Leave Now… Tell The Crew”, is probably my favourite track here. It has some nice textural moments, where the general chaotic abrasion disappears for a while; allowing scratchy, barren landscapes to shine through. This, coupled with sections punctuated by rhythmic bleeps, generates an effective “Alien-esque” atmosphere: its a very good track, developing an excellent, unsettling tension. The “Escape From Zombie Planet” half of the cd finishes with “End Credits”, a scourging barrage of wall noise; which initially seemed like an odd choice to play over the film credits, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea.
“Mental Trauma” is the work of Ataraxy, and is quite different from Sleep Of Ages’ effort. In the crudest terms, where the latter works in a Harsh Noise context, “Mental Trauma” is much more Harsh Noise Wall orientated. Ataraxy actually uses a not too dissimilar palette to Sleep Of Ages, but uses these “non-HNW” elements more sparingly; they’re often scattered just beneath the surface of the crackle and fizz that Ataraxy constructs. On top of this, these ingredients are often used in a much more textural way; oscillating or stuttering on tight delays - there’s no melodic passages to be found here. In many cases, feedback is used in lieu of Sleep Of Ages’ synths; ranging, on a track like “Nightmare Inside A Dream”, from billowing, airy feedback to piercing sheets of squall. But the central thrust of “Mental Trauma” originates in wall noise; it starts with the robust buzzing of a thousand flies and proceeds from there. Whilst some of the textures on show are very abrasive, the overall feel is not totally crushing; often the pieces operate in a detailed middle-ground - somewhere between Harsh Noise Walls and Ambient Noise Walls. “At The Gates Of Subconsciousness” has some brilliant sections of concentrated, textural detail; strong, but restrained. The last track, “The Restoration Of Dementia”, stutters into life slowly, before a skipping, scuffing high-pitched noise enters over a warm bed of crackle and drone; its a great passage, which then gets eaten up by harsher textures and feedback squeal - sounding very much like an apocalyptic train crash.
This is a great release, from two projects which put an interesting spin on the areas they’re exploring. Sleep Of Ages’ sci-fi and synth heavy take on harsh noise, is one that reaps dividends; creating equal amounts of skree and tension, and also allowing a little space for melody. The definite wall noise influence/concerns of Ataraxy’s “Mental Trauma” soundtrack, mean that it develops and progresses in a much more linear fashion than “Escape From Zombie Planet”; but the “non-HNW” elements it utilises, gives it character and colour. All in all, a great pairing and a release worth seeking out.
(Note: Sleep Of Ages wins the “Best Film Poster” contest, with the actor name “Jericho Butler”.)