Detailed Reviews [Endoplasmic Flow - 2012 - "11/11/11"]

Prolusion. The multinational ensemble ENDOPLASMIC FLOW is a creative entity that appears not to be that interested in sharing information. There's not too much information about them on the net; they don't even have a dedicated homepage, and the promotional material I received left out a few details one would normally expect, like a biography, track names on the album and suchlike. From what I understand "11/11/11" is their sixth official release, and is a compilation of selected pieces from a massive 11 piece CD-R set of music they released on November 11th 2011.

Analysis. While trying to investigate a bit about this album and the band behind it, I came across an interesting piece of information. Apparently the late Conrad Schnitzler has left behind a vast collection of sounds, effects and suchlike to be used by other artists. Which is why we'll see his name appear on current and future productions alike, even when he has left this earthly realm himself. Common knowledge for some I guess, but a needful fact to know as to why he is credited on productions such as this one. I'm lead to understand that Endoplasmic Flow is the creative vehicle of English composer and musician Jon Tyler, in collaboration with his Norwegian colleagues Roe and Christensen. The style of music we're dealing with resides firmly within the electronic realm, unsurprisingly for those familiar with aforementioned Schnitzler I'd guess. In this particular case we're dealing with an ambient variety of it, albeit ambient in a manner rather unlike what you normally associate with that description. The overall mood on this disc is a dark one for starters. Brooding, menacing yet strangely organic in expression. The latter quality a result of slowly fluctuating synth textures that counterpoint a dominant feature throughout: machine like rhythms and drones, rhythm patterns that sound like a machine steadily going on with it's task in clockwork manner; drones that may or may not be inspired by the sound of machines moving about. Nerve and variation are catered for by dampened, distanced sounds of a lighter and usually frail quality, sometimes as swirling or otherwise cosmic sounds, on other occasions as eerie, alien effects that add a cold and barren dimension to the proceedings. The most impressive of these constellations is the second one, almost 20 minutes of dark, industrial inspired and brooding multi-themed ambience, with a sly touch of the aforementioned cold alien details and nifty birdlike chirps all used to good effect to create a hypnotic and compelling mood for minds with a taste for the nightmare version of new age music. Later we're also treated to a slight exception to the proceedings when the fourth track starts developing, with ghostly vocal effects of some kind or other combined with a menacing breathing effect takes this piece into a subtly different direction altogether.

Conclusion. If you enjoy electronic music that shies away from the most well trodden paths and has a taste for slow, careful constructions of electronic ambient music Endoplasmic Flow may just have a winner at hand with "11/11/11". The style explored has been described as avant-garde electronic music and industrial ambient both by others, and it is within that dual context I'll place this production myself. A well made, tranquil journey into a musical landscape void of emotions, where machines go about their duties in a slow deliberate clockwork manner that, incidentally, is both musical and enjoyable for those with a taste for the dark side of the creative arts.

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: June 1, 2013
The Rating Room