Feu Follet – Toi Et Le Son (Einzeleinheit)

The creative inspiration that initially lead to this debut album from Einzeleinheit founder Tobias “Tocafi’ Fischer under his Feu Follet persona was apparently ignited when Fischer was introduced to the work of Mirror and Stephen Stapleton’s Nurse With Wound project, while preparing for two live performances of Mirko Uhlig’s “Aalfang mit Pferdekopf.’ In any case, Uhlig is thanked in the sleevenotes for “giving a hint’, and in many senses the feelings of cold and isolation evoked by the polar landscapes depicted in the cover art offer perhaps the best indication as to the sorts of frigid ambient dronescapes explored within. Constructed around just two tracks, both of which stretch past the eighteen minute mark, this debut album shows Fischer working with constantly shifting harmonic overtones, resulting in an eerily hypnotic and frequently disorientating listening experience that calls to mind the unease of Lustmord and Muslimgauze without the requisite darkness. In fact, while moments such as the title track evoke a deep sense of isolation akin to travelling in a bubble over a polar wilderness, there’s a notable lack of menace lurking at the edges that makes this an intangibly comforting listen at times.