CD-R, Afe Records , 2008
www.aferecords.com/releases/afe101cd.htm
According to the albums notes the basic material for this album was constructed by Mortar and then enhanced further by Amon – the later is a music project of Italian Andrea Marutti, while Mortar is a side-project of Moreno Daldosso. Though both artists have an extensive list of past releases and projects this release would be my introduction to the two projects.
A good part of the album contains deep bass drones that dominate the mix but there are times when other things seep in and take on a shape all their own too. “Part III” stars out with some haunting choir sounds that fade away into noise that resembles waves crashing on a shore. “Part IV” is probably my favorite chunk of the album because it breaks away completely from everything else and drifts away with some very nice organ work – in fact, I wish it had gone on more than the just barely over three minute length it carries.
Overall, this disc has some great atmospheres and some truly haunting sections. I do feel though that some sections drag on a bit and I did find my interest tailing away on some of the tracks. The formula this release has is well thought out – I just think the ‘experience’ could have been enhanced a bit if a few of the tracks were shortened or had more variation though. This is only my opinion though and I may be completely missing what the artists were going for. I do think if you’re a fan of dark, brooding droning ambient music that this is a release you may want to look into.
[6/10]
— Charlie Martineau