Sound On An Empty Road

I have always admired the tenacity and unashamed ambition of small, specialist labels who release work in such small quantities, yet maintain the ethics and business acumen of larger organisations. ECR is a classic example, and they have released a clutch of CD’s worthy of wider attention.

Itto is a collaboration between Ian Holloway of Psychic Space Invasion, and Neil Rowling of Goatboy (he MUST be Welsh). What we have here is a set of competently worked drone pieces, opening with a haunting sequence of lush sonics, populated with loops and whorls of colour. As the piece goes on, instrumentation gradually flickers into the composition, shifting in and out with tonal washes, possibly pitch-shifted or effect laden guitar, and other more subliminal elements. At times, the whole thing reminds me of Tangerine Dream, tracks from “Atem” immediately spring to mind. This is techno-psychedelia for the cyber generation.

It is difficult to imagine which particular mind-altering substance these boys were imbibing at the inception of this recording, but listening to their work in the dark conjurs up dark, unsettling images of strange worlds inhabited by shape-shifting ethereal presences, at once alien, yet strangely familiar. Technically, “Sound on an Empty Road” is adequately assembled, although at times a little ragged (possibly intentionally), but nevertheless more than worth its ridiculously low selling price. I wish them and the label a long and prosperous future.

ECM