Maleficia is the duo of Ilysea Viles Sunderman and Andy Way, on debut here with their self-titled LP. Much of it is an excursion into drone, utilising voice, viola and electronics to create an interesting, if sometimes tedious experience.
‘Making’ takes it’s time, starting slowly, with gentle moans of vocals calling back and forth over the almost ritualistic clacking of electronics. A distant hum drones away far, far in the background, building tensions and adding depth. Slowly the howling electronics build over one another, adding in density and volume. Decaying circuits buzz as the vocals and viola sing together a mournful song. Almost like a dark, pagan ritual, without the associated connotations of what they may be praising, this feels incredibly primal. Billows of white noise and distortion flash out like solar flares, glaring over the voice but also pushing it further into an aural thunderstorm of distortion and melody. Steadily winding down, yet losing none of it’s impact, the viola and vocals melt together into an unending hum as the electronic din surges forth once more into a furious cloud of clashing sound.
On the b-side, ‘Remaking’ opens with the droning of layered loops of viola, leaning into a distinctly eastern feel. Gradually the vocals call out once more, wailing and moaning like a trapped and tortured spirit. Much of this side continues in the same repetitive minimal fashion, and after a while gets a little boring, as many of the same motifs are simply repeated over and over. A little more melodic variation would have aided this greatly, just to break it up a little and to prevent it from getting too stagnant.
I found this to be dark and quite primal, but without being threatening or ‘occult’-ish. It’s certainly an exercise in repetitive drone, that’s for sure. Although it gets a little tedious in parts, this could also be viewed as a strength, depending on the desired effect. Given that this is their debut, time will tell as to how they develop. An interesting listen.
Nick Giles
