There’s an incredible softness to the drones of Perth-based Schuster, as though made from wispy threads of cotton wool. Everything appears blurred, intangible, devoid of harsh angles. The title ‘Breaking Down Into His Own Oblivion’ thus makes sense, as that is what Schuster presents us with: granular deconstructions of various field recordings, exposing the ash-like particles that reside in air-conditioner whirr, machine noise and the din of conversation.
Much of the album resembles the sound design for David Lynch-inspired horror films, understated to the point of emptiness, like Thomas Koner bleached to further levels of degradation. ‘Manasaravar’ best demonstrates this, a brief crackled hum that slowly unwinds, beautifully restrained and free of development. ‘I Am Living In My Own Corpse’ is slower, and equally subdued, but tries the patience at over 20 minutes. The fuzzed out beats of ‘Your House Is Marked’ offers a departure, with distorted bursts of static resembling Pansonic or early Senking alongside squealing guitar, but the prevailing mood of dark-yet-cosy gloom remains.
Joshua Meggitt
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