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Metalux & John Wiese, "Exoteric"
The term "exoteric" can relate popularity, being the exact opposite of "esoteric" and, for the most part, this description is suited to Metalux. Their strange noise has always been a little easier to swallow with its comprehensible beats, recognizable guitars, and punches of melody. Put them with John Wiese, however, and the title of this album begins to appear ill chosen.
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John Wiese's approach to noise is multifaceted; he either destroys sound beyond recognition and then constructs strange microscopic fits of random size and shape or he pummels everything he comes across into pure chaos. He almost rides a middle ground between these two approaches on Exoteric, trying to fit in with Metalux's surreal and often perplexing sound. While I like these two on their own, I'm afraid that their work together pales in comparison. Metalux's music has always been disorganized, but I'm always under the impression that they must have some love for organization in some shape. Some of their music is arranged into what some might consider actual songs and even when they venture off into unknown territory, Metalux have a knack for bringing their random sounds together in coherent ways. The whole mess might be incoherent by nature, but Metalux work a miracle or two in their own way. That's why I'm surprised by all the noise on this release. I don't hear a single piano, crystalline drone, or guitar anywhere. In fact, the entire album seems to be composed of sounds taken from Wiese's hard drive. The palette this record uses tastes just like Wiese's noise always has. His passion for granular sound is evident all over Exoteric and unfortunately it takes up the most stage presence.
For the most part it sounds like Metalux took a back seat in this project. Some of their more warped and incidental sounds do appear here in there, in the form of mutant trumpets and warped vocals; what has always made them stand out, however, is conspicuous by its absence. The total lack of melody and the slow pace of the record belie the fact that Metalux sometimes make me want to dance. This is more like an effort to give me a headache in various, pulsing formats. I don't hate the album entirely, but I think these two noise makers could've done a lot more between each other. There's just too much cold and dark space on this record to draw me in and, if anything, this album is an esoteric piece of strange un-noise. It is rhythmic without maintaining a solid rhythm and it is scathing without being overly harsh. In other words, it is simply mediocre sound with few big drawing points. I love the vocals Metalux contributed, but I don't like how they were used with the exception of the very last track.
I suggest looking into Metalux's and Wiese's separate catalogues before I'd get this. Even though I liked both bands prior to hearing this, Exoteric didn't do it for me. It doesn't sound like what I had imagined a cross between these two would sound like.
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