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Troum, "Syzygie"
A collection of various compilation pieces recorded between 1999 and 2002, Syzygie shows just how diverse and eclectic this duo (two thirds formerly of Maeror Tri) were, and still are. With an approach in league with their previous project, warm analog electronics and dark, menacing sounds mix with stylistic trappings diverging wildly from piece to piece, but all coming together into a consistent and cohesive whole.
Troum's strengths shine through on songs like "Makaria," which builds a slow, warm drifting feel over what sounds like a carefully repeated guitar motif.The result is a beautiful inviting sound from a style that is often too focused on creating dank and oppressive environments.The same holds for the rich analog electronics and slow, but rich changes of "Ater," which conjures the same sense of warmth and dream-like imagery.
It is not all warm sun and comfortable electronics though, such as on the more boisterous "Fantauma," which aims for high drama and room shaking low end.With its distorted, almost power electronics like underlying rhythm, "Uegh[Cunabula]" also makes for a significant departure with the addition of its noisier electronics, but never loses the lush, rich sound of the other, more delicate pieces.
Another notable feature of this collection is how many changes and variations in style the duo go through on these different compositions."S'engourdir" and "Khan-Arachnid" both introduce the use of vocal samples, heavily cut up and processed, but a distinctly different element than what preceded it.The latter especially stands out with its overall collage sound and heavier low end, even mixing in some nicely varied loops of tactile noise.
In a few cases, however, the pieces do not stand out quite as distinctly.For example, "Ganymed" falls more into that conventional dark ambient sound with its low frequencies, hushed rumbling, and far off mechanical din.The same holds true for the aforementioned "S'engourdir," which, even with its use of voice snippets, just sounds too similar to a multitude of other artists.Both represent very well done takes on the genre, but ones that just are not quite as distinct stylistically.
The most striking aspect of Syzygie is how organic and natural it all sounds.So many artists who work with similar sparse and droning approaches bathe everything in digital reverb or robotic effects that leaves the sound dull, lifeless, and indistinct from one another.It cannot even be due to the time (the era in which these songs were created was perhaps the peak of when these problems were the most egregious), so it simply is a testament to the duo's abilities as both composers and performers that have few actual peers working in similar fields.
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