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The Skull Defekts & The Sons of God, "Received in Studio Dental, Gothenburg"
The meeting of one of Sweden’s premiere drone noise collective and the electronic duo featuring the king of Elgaland-Vargaland produced this single track where no input mixing boards dual with amplified rakes and found instruments to produce an expansive drone piece that isn’t afraid to get messy.
The single improvised track begins with overt reverberated scrapes from a rake and other found sounds, (courtesy of the Sons of God) baked in reverb and far too jarring to be rhythmic. The scrapes are eventually paired with a distant electronic tone that haunts in the distance. The constant study of the metallic grind of the rakes surprisingly doesn’t get dull or tedious, as both Leif Elggren and Kent Tankred use the humble tool as an instrument more than just a sound effect.
Subtle synth punctuations by the Skull Defekts guys slowly enter and make their presence known. The constant dull pulse of the keyboards contrasts the otherwise dynamic improvised sounds. Eventually the synths win this battle of sounds, dominating the mix with massive sheets of low end swell that casts the scrapes into an entirely different light: the darker feel of the track sounds more like chains being dragged through a dungeon than electro-acoustic improvisation.
The synthetic sounds become the focus even more as the track goes on, waving a dronescape that stays static while the improvised sounds skitter across. The sound is definitely abrasive, but the textures are not harsh. Instead, the track continues to lurk around in the shadows. The electronic sounds become more varied, but always remain cautiously guarded among the chaotic noises.
The final third of the track allows the noise to flow, with the overdriven synths matched with violent crashes and bangs from the gardening implements. It reaches that fuzzy grind that rivals some of the best noise artists working today. After this violent outburst, the sounds retreat into an echo chamber of synth waves, random clattering and bashing around to conclude the performance as it began.
As best as I can tell, the proceedings are exactly as they occurred in Studio Dental a few months ago, which exemplifies the skill and nuance of these two projects. There are other artists out there who seek to create similar sounds through the use of constant sound manipulation and digital treatments, but this the result is one of purely organic collaboration. Kudos also to Utech, for releasing this and delving into even more abstract realms than the drone metal and noise the label is known for.
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