Total Life — Radiator

Important Records presents Radiator, the first proper full-length by Total Life. For those unfamiliar, Total Life is solo project of one Kevin Doria (Growing). I’ll have to admit I’ve been familiar with Growing for quite some time now, but I never really got around to giving them an earnest listen. They’ve been on my ever growing list of bands to eventually check out, but admittedly, I’ve fallen way behind the eight ball. I guess I’ll just have to work backwards exploring Doria’s solo work first. So here’s the specs on the album: Radiator was recorded and mixed at home during the Winter of 2012, “inspired by standing on the gas and pushing forward by any means necessary in a fog of high volume and hazy memories, true love and terminal velocity. Intended for high volume playback.” Woot!

Over the course of 40+ minutes, Radiator delivers tightly focused electronic drone. According to the album info, Mr. Doria utilizes “the Endangered Audio Research AD4096 analog delay pedal modulated and tweaked by the GRIZLA Gristleizer through Ampeg Amplification as loud as possible.” I’m not sure if that comprises the totality of the instruments used to compose Radiator, but it certainly does have a very minimalistic sheen to it. Each side of the album comprises a single track, appropriately titled “Radiator I” and “Radiator II.”  “Radiator I” is focused on a pulsing electronic hum that evolves at glacial speed. There’s subtle variation to be had throughout the track’s 20 minutes to the discerning and patient listener. What starts out as a steady hum grows to a swelling pulsing output. Brighter pulses fade in and out of the background as the track progresses, before finally fading out in the track’s final minutes.

“Radiator II” doesn’t stray too far from it’s predecessor, but my God does it ramp up the intensity! As soon as the track queues up, I’m immediately blasted by an intense drone that I can only approximate to an alien death ray. It’s intense and unrelenting. Recommended to be played at loud volumes? Oh yes indeed! While this heavy, dense electronic drone takes the focus of the track there’s subtler drones working their magic underneath, almost sounding like a chorus of cicadas ebbing and flowing. The track comes to really nail a crescendo around the 14 minute mark and then slowly but, surely fade out in an ambient fashion.

I often commend artists who have the patience and focus to do this sort of stuff. Depending on my frame of mind, music of this ilk can either  be tedious or genius...sometimes a little of both. Radiator is definitely one of the stronger entries in the electronic drone genre I’ve heard as of late. The length is just perfect...just enough to pull you in and entrance you. Any longer and it might have felt like a chore. Truly some zone out perfection to immerse yourself into. Played loudly of course!