After straying into realms of harsh noise and power electronics onalbums like 'Obsessis', BDN returns to darker territory. The allegedlylimited vinyl-only '1890' is a good example of a minimal record—howless is more.
The songs are called "I", "II", "III", and "IV", thesleeve is grey on black, and the record is heavyweight black vinyl.There is nothing to indicate how you should think, leaving the music toits own devices. "I" builds slowly and steadily with stiflingly slowbeats, under a wash of subtle analog vibrations that flicker around anappropriately eerie vocal sample, creating an intensely alien mood."II" continues to drown you in the same vein, although a bit noisier asthe sound sources feel increasingly found, such as a metal chairdragged across a concrete floor. Analog frequencies sputter in and out,but they're always cold, until it all coagulates into a miasma ofnoise, deliberate beats, and muted cries of anguish. By the end of theside, you're broken. If you're brave enough to flip the record, "III"starts the attack all over again. Whispers and growls from the murkyshadows return over the slow pounding and drone, increasing you'resense of anxiety. Like all great artists, Brighter Death Now excels atcreating internal tension, so as the music progresses, it heightens andbuilds upon the sense of paranoia, fear, and oppressiveness it'salready instilled. The last track, "IV" rumbles on, seeminglyincorporating bits of all the previous tracks into itself, a harbingerof the end. It's the death knell, as even the volume grows, and the lowfrequency bass grips you and begins to crush-the semblance of orderbreaks down as it echoes and pulses chaos. This record is damn good. Goout and find it. Play it, just not in the dark.
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Brighter Death Now "1890"
- Richard SanFilippo
- Albums and Singles