Zaimph, "La Nuit Electrique"

A solo work from Hototogisu/Double Leopards member Marcia Bassett sounds exactly like the photo on the cover:  dark, gray, and sinisterly mysterious.  And it excels at living up to these adjectives.

 

Utech

Across the four untitled tracks, Bassett sticks to building mini-dramas out of dark, heavily effected guitar work.  The exception is the first track, which is instead reminiscent of an ancient music box playing after being under years of grime and decay.  A gentle melody is obviously there, but it is covered in thick, viscousy textures of noise that are almost tangible.  The track is more about the effects and distortion instead of the melody, or at least it was the element that drew the attention of these ears.  The other tracks tend to lean more on the guitar end of things, such as the second track's guitar feedback drone that stretches from the track, off into the horizon and into infinity that, as the time clicks away, becomes darker and more frightening with each minute.

The third track is a bit harsher, swelling distorted guitar riffs that loom like the monolith riffing of drone poster boys Sunn O))), but from a distance far, far away.  The riffs slowly crawl across the cold night air, slowly becoming more and more psychedelic into dissolving into pure madness.  The progression from the gentle opening into increasing darkness and violence reaches its logical conclusion in the unfortunately too short final track of pure unabashed guitar noise.  Rather than just being an exercise in pure feedback squeal, it instead has a distant, alien quality to it that makes it much more unique and compelling.

Zaimph's latest entry in Utech's Arc series continues both the series' focus on experimental artists who are not necessarily the most well known but are at the top of their game, as well as attention to detail in gorgeous, minimalist packaging that gives the series its uniform look.  As the series is drawing to its end, it shows no sign of letting up in its brilliance, and Bassett's installment is testament to that. 

samples:

• Track One
• Track Two
• Track Three