Fittingly, given the vaguely sci-fi setting of the title, Post Human Possibilities feels like something of a hybrid album. On the one side there are the dark synth textures that Ourobonic Plague are known for and which were explored in detail on their three releases last year. On the other side is a new-found tension brought about through more active rhythmic motifs that pulse and grind, generating a sense of edginess that is quite new to Ourobonic Plagues ouvre. Ultimately this sense of old and new comes together to give a glimpse of something new in Ourobonic Plague unique realisation of dark ambient beats.
Post Human Possibilities gets off to a strong start. ‘Her Reptile Dysfuncton’ blends warped vocal samples with tense, repetitive beats, creating an almost Trent Reznor-ish sound world. This is followed by ‘Lake Slasher’ and here there is some hint as to the influence of the Perth hip-hop collective The Community, to which Ourobonic Plague is a member of. With its cosmic synth stabs and gradually evolving beats this is the closest thing to hip-hop that Ourobonic Plague has conceived of yet. Of course it’s not hip-hop, it just has surface elements resembling hip-hop. It is Ourobonic Plague’s ability to manipulate the characteristics of this genre, that in their original setting are so comforting, into a unique musical language that makes it a downright creepy listen. These two tracks are some of the best music Ourobonic Plague has released so far.
‘Leaving Earth’ marks a turn towards a more static portion of the album, consisting of a dark, doom-laden beat over a soft trance pad. Again Ourobonic Plague’s gently evolving synths work nicely but with the track only lasting three and a half minutes, the piece feels a little short to do the ideas justice. Similarly, ‘Return To The Lake’ uses a wandering synth lead over some underlying atmospheric sounds which, while pleasant, doesn’t really seem to go anywhere either. Ourobonic Plague have never been afraid of creating extended tracks, and so it seems strange that two tracks with interesting musical ideas aren’t further developed.
‘Connection Failed’ is grounded in the sort of musical approach Ourobonic Plague have explored previously on the 2011 LP Moon Worship, namely the reliance of an interplay between skittering surface textures and repetitive beats. Once again the influence of The Community can be sensed as Ourobonic Plague work familiarly rigid beats into a ominously mechanical framework. However, it is the 16-minute closer ‘Washed Up On The Shore’ that really stands out. When finally given the space they need, the familiar synth textures are fashioned into a track that is more powerful and foreboding than anything else on the album. The rigidity of the rest of the album is lost here, as slow changes gradually sculpt a sound-scape that ends the listening experience in an appropriately epic fashion.
Ultimately Post Human Possibilities is an album of dark ambient, beat-based music filtered through a mask of paranoia, that rises above the sludge and drone of Ourobonic Plagues previous works, creating dark ambient pieces that have a unique sense of tension throughout. It is a recording that builds on the sound world that Ourobonic Plague inhabits, while hinting at a sound world that may soon be realised.
Sam Gillies
