CD-R, Afe Records, 2007
www.edwardruchalski.com
Before doing a bit of investigating, I have to admit Edward Ruchalski was not a name familiar to me. Apparently he currently resides in Syracuse, New York and has several releases in addition to this one. Before reading up on him too much though, I decided to listen to this release and let the music speak for itself.
From the beginning of “Territorial Objects,” I’m immediately reminded of David Jackman’s work as Organum, with its characteristic metallic clangs and droning reverb, and some of Nurse With Wound’s early work also comes to mind. These two comparisons in check, I have to say I got quite excited about this release very early into it. Divided into thirteen untitled tracks that bring forth an unsettling atmosphere, the album leaves me rather impressed with Ruchalski’s effort, though I think that the fade out of a few of the tracks takes away a bit from the mood and would have preferred if the tracks flowed more evenly. The only other complaint that comes to mind is that after several tracks the album started to feel repetitive. However the last track stands out for how unsettling it truly is. The use of what I believe to be children’s voices really gives it a creepy atmosphere, and in a non-cheesy way at that. It is an excellent way to end a release of this type. In fact I think if I had to pick one track as a favorite this would definitely stand out, even though this is definitely a release to be listened to from beginning to end – and maybe on a good pair of headphones as well.
This album is recommended to anyone who considers themselves fans of older Organum or Nurse With Wound material. If you are into drone and experimental music at all, you would probably be quite content with this album as well.
[7/10]
— Charlie Martineau