Train Cemetery — Murum
The labelled cassette comes in a doubled sided sleeve- on the fount we get a block of plain sliver ink, with no letter or marks. On the inner we get a colour picture of some wooden floor boards, which has the projects name & logo embossed on it. And bellow this we get the track listings, web links etc. The release appeared in mid September 2016, but sadly the physical version is now out of print…so the only option now is a digital download.
So first out of the door we have "Murum I"- this is a nice pleasing & oddly cosy blend of two of three layers of crackling descent. The textures are all in the lower- to-mid range, and take in fairly simplistic selection of snaps, pops, and thin wiry judders. Together these create a fixed, taut, yet soothing ‘wall’- with ones mind nicely following first one pattern trail after another. It’s a really nice start to the release, and would still have been effective & enjoyable at twice its length.
Next up we have "Murum II"- this track is a bit more taut, layer detailed & searing in it’s attack. It brings together a looped bubbling ‘n’ juddering element, with a thinner rattling & jittering element. The bubbling texture has quite a firm, rumbling aquatic feel to it, while the thinner rattling has quite an urgent yet looser feeling to its structure.
The last track on side A comes in the form of "Murum III". This time around we get a lower range galloping & judder, blended with looser rattling, & this subtle revolving semi harmonic pitch. As the ‘wall’ progresses I can detect other layers of similar toned rattling added to this mix, and these are seemingly moving in a slightly different pattern to the original elements- together (with the subtle pitch shift) this creates quite a effective feeling of woozy unblance-ment.
So flipping over to side B, and first up we have "Murum IV". This brings together a buried rolling & trundling element, with a layer of more sharpe & spiteful snapping ‘n’ pop. Once again I rather enjoy & find satisfying the difference between the two key layers, as ones mind first hooks on & follows one then the other. Though oddly( and unlike the other tracks) my attention did start to drift about mid way through.
Next we have "Murum V", and this ‘wall’ blends together two layers of lower-to-mid range burrowing & snapping textures, which are set into a nice impenetrable mass. It rather sounds like something large constantly breaking & bounding through a thick forest. And as a result it did rather bring to mind Richard Ramirez Big foot themed project Fouke, though I guess Train Cemetery textural settings here feel a little less precise & atmospheric compared to Fouke’s walls. Though don’t get me wrong this is a satisfying ‘wall’ in it’s own right, and as Fouke is one of my favourite ‘wall’ projects the comparisons is praise indeed.
Last up we have "Murum VI", and this brings together a tautly beaded low-end judder, with a blend of semi spluttering snapping ‘n’ popping static flow. The tracks ok I guess, and it kept me locked into the end. I guess it just a little let down after the great-ness of pervious track.
All in all Murum offers up a worthy & mostly wholly consistent selection of shorter wall-craft. I certainly looking forward to hearing more of Train Cemetery work in the future, as clearly the project has the talent & the ability to make effective HNW.