When All Your Ghosts Are Tired
And All Their Eyes Are Shut
This
should be an easy review to bung together. Only two tracks on it so I
shouldn't have to expend too much energy into it. Good. Because I'm knackered.
Age is taking its toll and I can't live it up like I used to. Can't actually
get it up like I used to either, but that's another story which I should
be telling my doctor about. So forget I've just mentioned it. Appreciated.
Omei, a side project from Mr Sickness himself, have a few releases already
out, although this is the first one I've ever heard. Comparisons to previous
music is therefore nil and void. On this latest endeavour Chris is joined
and helped in places by James Keeler (Wilt) and Joe Colley (Crawl Unit),
who provided source material to help the two pieces ebb and flow.
Knew I forgot something. "When all your ghosts are tired" is
a two track affair. Two very long tracks, so value for money is the order
of the day. Track one: 'When all your ghosts are tired' is a
34+ minutes piece that mixes drone with noise. Starting off almost inaudibly
the music slowly develops, piece by marginal piece, before exploding in
a cascade of aural disharmony and high pitched resonance before slowly
subsiding into the ether at the end. Almost sexual in nature if you ruminate
about it. The power being coaxed up by gentle stroking before the dynamic
climax and blood returning to normal limp end. Or is that just me thinking
of my problems again? The utilisation of synth loops and electronic frenzied
noise, plus Mr Keeler's input, helped in creating this dazzling effect
whatever way you ponder it. Track two: 'And all their eyes are shut'
is a slightly different ball game all together. Here Chris goes for an
all field recordings and manipulation experimental piece, ably assisted
by Mr Colley, which clocks in at 22 + minutes. The atmospheres created
are alive to the sounds of static flying through the air, empty spaces
not totally devoid of life, creaking frames, pipes all a rumbling, grates
slowly squeaking, echo and reverb being the mainstay that holds it together.
It reminds me in places of the Anna Planeta - "S/T" & Sleep
Research Facility - "Dead Weather Machine" release who went,
kind of, down this same path. The only difference being that Chris &
Joe mash and mush up the sounds near the end in a display of outlandish
aggression.
"When all your ghosts are tired" was a fascinating recording
all round. The two very different styles of music actually complimented
each, although both included noise elements to them, and was an eye opener
for myself not used to the music of Omei. Which considering I'm not the
number one fan of Sickness shows how much this music has affected me.
Or is that afflicted? Can never remember which. What I do recall though
is that my 57 minutes in the company of Omei was of the utterly pleasurable
kind and one I'll return to often. Seriously worth investigating and investing
in.
ANM