Troum — Dreaming Muzak

German ambient drone masters and all around experimental wizards, Troum, need no introduction. However, their first release, Dreaming Muzak, may not be as well known as some of their other material. Originally released on cassette in 1998 (post-mainstream usage of cassette and pre-hipster embrace of it), Dreaming Muzak was re-released on a very limited (100) CDr in 2005. Zoharum is making sure that this gem finds its way to more ears by releasing Dreaming Muzak on CD and streaming/download via Bandcamp. After hearing quite a bit of Troum over the past couple of years, it's great to hear where it all began and how close to their original sound they've stayed, and at times, how far they've experimented.

Each track on Dreaming Muzak builds atmosphere quickly and spends the rest of its run time thickening, moving, and growing. Whether suffocating and noisy ("Part I") or  foggy and drifting ("Part II"), the end result is the same: atmosphere deluxe. Thick layers work together in "Part I" to make a creepy, cave-like soup that moves quickly in pieces, but slowly overall. The lows that moan propel the track along and almost obscure the quickly circling highs. Troum's juxtaposition of the frequencies adds a great amount of depth and scope, and makes the subterranean caves come alive. Disembodied voices are hidden in the mix and make one question whether or not they're even there. A loftier, airier approach is taken on "Part II (The Dream Catcher)," but the end result is the same; A thick, living atmosphere that spends its time enveloping the listener. Less chaotic drones are used as layer meat, and their slow movements make the listener feel as though they're being pulled through the air. Quicker oscillating drones add a sense of urgency to the ride, but they're fleeting, and don't make the trip too labored. The journey ends with a calm landing, and the listener is free to walk away to enjoy more sessions with Troum.

Troum's first release is a very solid debut. One can definitely hear the beginning of their sound and how it would eventually form into lighter fare like Mare Morphosis. The transition from thick, solid walls to airy, almost symphonic drifts shows nice progression, but makes one long for the thick, suffocation blanket of their earlier work. Zoharum's re-release of Dreaming Muzak is very welcome and I hope it gets the audience it deserves.