:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 ::

EP Review: Ascoltare - Gallery (Tripel)

I can't deny that I've been a real slack bastard with reviews recently. And by recently, I mean about the last six months. I got around to reviewing Ascoltare's Giving Set just in time for its May release date, and within days I had another of Dave Henson's creations sat awaiting review. A troll through my email shows I promised a review "as quick as I can" on May 18th. So here it is. You wouldn't have thought 'the quickest I could' would be four months would you? Sorry for being so slack, Dave.

As with all Tripel releases Gallery is curiously packaged. This time in an A4 grip lock bag with the disk mounted on a near black on black AC/DC parody cardboard print. The CD-R contains a live set put together for a support slot for a gig in Cambridge with Spain's #1 three-deck trainwrecker, DJ /Rupture, and Japan's raga-breakcore supremo, OVe-NaXx. If this was just the start of the night, and the rest of it lived up to this, it must have been pretty awesome.

It's a darker, more intense experience than previous Ascoltare releases. It did take a few listens before I really got into it, but as I type, I am listening to it on repeat for the third time today and loving it.

It's heavy on the drones, glitches, white noise, and atmosphere. At the same time it is balanced with (mostly) clean spoken word overdubs, some lovely organ/keys sounds, and some delicate beats. If I wanted to find a comparison that may be familiar, I would say its like Pomme Fritz/Orbus Terrarum era Orb [on drugs / turned up to 11 / insert cliché here]. If you're into that sort of thing, it really is worth tracking down.

Despite there only being 250 copies, there are still some out there. Boomkat, Norman Records and Juno*, all still have it in stock, and Replay Records in Bath have a lonely cardboard sign saying there's a copy behind the counter. Go on, go get it.

I'm not just saying this because I feel I have to. Unlike Fraser over at Blog Jam, I'm perfectly happy to slate things I don't like, even if I did get them for free. Let's face it; if it's shit I don't want more of it coming through my letter box. If its this good, I want more of it.

* The Juno site also has samples of each track.
Track listing:
01. Assassin & Son
02. On A Natural Charge
03. Vile Haze
04. The Good Ass Turned Over
05. Somewhere There Are The Absent

:: Dan 20.9.05 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
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