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Supersilent, "8"
The latest bulletin from the far north's most mighty improvisers is nothing short of staggering. From start to finish it is a bewildering and bewitching journey; the familiar trappings of rock and jazz being reprogrammed into a chimera of musical styles in a strange, shifting landscape. It is the sound of absolute freedom, of musicians completely breaking away from the constraints laid upon them by those who have gone before.
A word that is not unfamiliar to those who have encountered Supersilent is "intense." If this was a one word review, it would be just that. However, blessed with a relatively unlimited word count I can go into the required detail. Anyone familiar with Supersilent will know that the idea of intensity is always key to their power. What form this intensity takes depends on their mood when they walk into the studio, for 8 it is an almost violent, heavy vibe that rumbles through the album. The queasy synth and lurching rhythms that opens the album brings to mind the nauseous live jams of Throbbing Gristle. From the second it starts it is obvious that the world's favourite Norwegians are back and they are taking no prisoners and leaving no survivors.
The pace is then taken down a few measures for about half the album, the jazzier side of Supersilent comes to the fore but even then, jazz is just one word that fails to do justice to this band. In saying that, there is a serious Miles Davis air about "8.4" with its cool drums and trumpet center. To class this music as jazz (or rock or improvisation or experimental) does not convey in even the slightest what Supersilent are like on their best days (on their worst days it is possible to use stronger words but that is not the focus here). The best I can do is go back to the idea of intensity, gripping the moment with both hands and freefalling into oblivion, recording the sounds all the while. The white hot freakout of "8.7" captures this feeling most effectively; it vomits out of the stereo like a million Wolf Eyes hungry for your hearing.
8 may be intense and even punishing but most importantly it is a splendid album, replete with mind-blowing improvisations that quite honestly left me breathless the first time I sat down and listened to it. Each listen opens up a new view on the music, it is possible to listen to a particular track over and over and pick up nuances that were previously missed. Of course, anyone who has heard any of Supersilent's previous releases will know this already. 8 is as good as anything from the group's back catalogue and better than words can accurately convey.
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