Embracing the Glass/Haslam – Untitled, split CD-R (Cohort)

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Embracing the Glass
Embracing the Glass is East American duo Sean Carroll (guitar, electronics, effects) and Jeff Sampson (voice, etc), and they have been working together since 2001. This split CD-R is their third release, and features just one track by them. But what a track – it’s called ‘Dearly Departed’ and is half an hour long. Whilst the main tools used are voice and guitar, this is as far from a conventional pop record as it’s possible to get – instead this is an introspective, meditative slice of magickal, sepulchral ambience. In the opening section, the plangent guitar sounds and falsetto, wordless vocals bring to mind Sigur Ros – and as the piece continues, and the sounds become less recognisable, one is reminded of Nurse With Wound/Current 93’s ‘Die, Flip or Go to India’ or Popol Vuh’s ‘Vergegenwärtigung’. The conception, playing and production are utterly assured. The overall feel is like being stuck inside a huge, haunted castle, straight out of Poe or Lovecraft, where nameless terrors await the unwary.

On the second half of this disc are three tracks by Haslam, aka Byron Paladin, a solo artist from Jamaica Plain, Mass. Haslam’s works are purely instrumental. ‘How Many Tears’ is a huge empty space, where drones and long held tones drift in and out, in a manner similar to Eno’s ‘2/2’. The mood darkens on ‘Train of Thought’s with isolated, high wailing notes over low bass drones and subterranean clunks – then a train-like rhythm of filtered noise breaks in, along with muffled underground explosions, and the atmosphere becomes bleak and icy. ‘Myopic Dreamscape’ more or less describes itself – a dreamlike, out-of-focus melange of drones and subtle melodies, which induces a pleasing state of beatific somnolence in the listener.

This is a superb album of dark ambience and deep thought – the two acts complement each other perfectly, and it’s very easy to become completely absorbed, and play the whole disc in one go.

For MP3 previews click here. [NB This is a limited release of 100 copies]

Ewan Burke

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