Avskedsrum - Villospår
Avskedsrum
Villospår
Fluttering Dragon Records
Labelling Avskedsrum, the new solo project of Per Wistbo Nibell of Simply Dead as ‘dark ambient’ is likely a convenient way of setting up parameters, but the more one allows Villospår to bleed in and out of one’s conscious listening, the less accurate the ‘dark’ part of that descriptor feels. Sure, in some of the creaking wood and metal field sampling and in the low, slowly shifting pads which are broken up only by processional chimes or cosmic pulses one can hear all of the hallmarks of that genre, but those are offset by elements like the earthy synth patterns of “Rymdskrot” and the delicate wood flute of “Skymningen väntar” which skims atop classic Berlin school dunes of sound. Moody? Sure. Contemplative? Definitely. But dark? Doesn’t quite fit the bill, or at least circumscribe the terrain Nibell is covering, which it should be noted is often adorned with a fine patina of radio and television samples (the hauntological aims of Cities Last Broadcast and Entangled System come to mind), blurred and layered into obscurity, avoiding a sense of information overload by virtue of their distance from the focused, warm sounds Villospår keeps front and center.


Ratpajama
Brande New Obscure
self-released
It’s no secret that South America has been a hotbed of EBM, darkwave and industrial music for decades, and although visibility for the continent’s homegrown acts has remained somewhat spotty, more releases have been coming to the attention of North American DJs and trainspotters. One act we’ve taken notice of has been Brazil’s Ratpajama, first coming to our attention via their collab with American artists Grizz and Vick Vapors. Conveniently, their new EP, the appropriately titled Brand New Obscure, gives a good overview of the band’s sound, a potent combination of classic darkwave poise and modern electronics that remains distinct from the most popular forms that combination has taken over the last decade. To that point, “Dire Needs” has the sort of regal, dangerous detachment of the European school in its vocals, but pairs it with thick, pulsing electro that slides and scrapes more than it bounces. ALternately, “Rato” brings out a pounding half-time rhythm and hefty amounts of delay that build everything into a slow motion avalanche of sound, progressively urgent as it threatens to collapse under its own atmosphere. Closer “Danse Macabre” and “Corpo Incógnita” are perhaps a bit more down the pipe, but in distinct ways; where the latter goes with wiry basslines and clappy snares as a backdrop for horror movie strings, the former thickens up the programming, chops up samples and adds some atonal melodics, giving the whole thing a more cybered out vibe, sensual and mechanical at the same time.