Apostate started as a rough set of ideas batted back and forth digitally between Bobby Donne, Gregory Darden and Jimmy Anthony. Three sections emerged, each made up of smaller segments. The completed work is one of austere beauty undercut by overwhelming drones and sounds of undetermined origin.
The artwork and song titles give hints to the meaning behind the sound. A dark gateway with carvings from some long lost, or imaginary language is vaguely off kilter and dark.
References to religion like "Sutta" and "Muezzin" are matched by the sound of bells and a call to prayer. But then the album title itself and titles like "Betrayals" direct thoughts toward darker emotional realms.
All from a band that has practiced it's craft in obscurity, using the tools of digital soundscaping to transform and conceal. Apostate invites you to walk through that gateway to see what you can hear.
Apostate will be available from the FSS Bandcamp page on a pay-what-you-want basis.
How subtle is too subtle? Because Cristal, a trio containing Bobby Donne of post-rock legends LaBradford, is so subtle. There's samples so deep in the mix that you're never quite sure if you've heard them or not,
and when you try to listen out for them you just miss them.. an exercise in soundtracking what could be about to happen rather than what's actually happening... Climaxes are for chumps
FACT
Together since 2001, the group has refined its approach over the years, and the evidence can be clearly heard...
Fans of Deaf Center, Elegi, and Svarte Greiner clearly would do themselves a disservice in not familiarizing themselves with Cristal's work too.
Textura
Track Listing
I. 1.Without Water 2. April (reprise) 3.Sutta 4.Dormition 5. Muezzin 6. Manse, the Nighthawked
II. 1.Oscines 2.Last in the Heights 3.Dormition (reprise) 4.Bels
III. 1. Burn Witch, Ye Sin 2. Betrayals 3. April
