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Marreck, "Cetology"
Cetology is one of those albums that sits somewhat close to an established style (in this case techno) on the genre spectrum, but just far enough out to sound like something else entirely. The elements are all here: synth leads, catchy basslines, programmed drums, but it all ends up put together in a way that might seem wrong, but because of that becomes a different and captivatingly unique beast entirely.
Marreck (aka Michael Hann, who also records as Rejections) utilizes all of those sounds and instruments we associate with dance music, but uses them to instead compose chaotic pieces that defied all expectations.The first piece, "Folio" has an analog-ish kick drum rhythm, with conventional synth leads and washes, but rather than being danceable it is instead an unrelenting barrage of drums contrasted with a frozen, glacial electronic progression.
"Duedecimo" also has Hann doing this extremely well:a stuttering, pummeling kick drum sequence is mixed with handclaps that more closely resemble automatic weapons fire.Along with this abrasive rhythm section, he blends in aggressive, noise heavy synth stabs and what sounds like a futuristic warning siren blasting outward.
On a piece such as "Somina", he lets the noise take the lead.A stuttering, harsh beat and distorted ambience results in a chugging, industrial-like sound that is as rhythmic as it is dissonant."Cuvier", on the other hand, keeps the rhythm aggressive but not distorted, with oddly processed sheets of synth noise washing forward.He keeps things together, with the noisier moments being reigned in before they get out of hand until the very end, where everything just explodes into a mass of futuristic war-like noise.
Harsh noise artists trying to make acid house techno would probably result in a song similar to "Luna", which sounds like familiar, squelchy synth sounds destroyed and quickly reassembled into a burst of rhythmic noise, all the while a light, beautiful synth passage underscores and contrasts the chaos.The closing "Octavo" has the ambience of an air conditioning system entering full on meltdown, with muffled, reverb heavy thumping beats and a dark, oppressive and claustrophobic feel that builds to its intense conclusion.
With so many noise artists trying to adopt techno sounds and beats these days, Marreck's album sounds like the opposite:an electronic artist using his dance-oriented gear to make abrasive blasts of harshness.Michael Hann's use of these familiar sounds, in these seemingly unnatural contexts, is this album’s greatest asset.Parts may seem familiar, but Cetology sounds like no other album, and no other artist could have made it.
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