The last time we saw Paranoia Inducta in action was with the first act of the "Lux mundi" trilogy titled "Gloria laus", released by Beast Of Prey in 2006. This time Paranoia Inducta joined the forces with the most well known Japanese industrial/cyperpunk writer/artist, Kenji Siratori. BLACK PAPER see Paranoia Inducta mixing their industrial ambient style with Japanese culture/sounds. The experiment is successful into most of the tracks (the less focused on little variations of drones) and tracks like "Audition", "Grudge" or "Taboo" have Kenji performing semi traditional chants on dark ambient drones, traditional Japanese percussions and maybe a shamisen. The effect created remember me some moments of the "Blade runner" movie. Do you remember the soundtrack when we see Deckard at the Chinese fast food, when we have the adverts on the giant screens? Anyway, we have also the characteristic Siratori spoken word on most of the tracks. Another track I really dug is "Mechanical requiem". On this one along with Kenji voice we have an obsessive percussion on a melodic ambient background along with sounds of a picked shamisen. Going from post industrial ambience to dark ambient passing though Japanese tradition, Paranoia Inducta made a nice album which deserve your attention.

Released for the Silence Is Not Empty web-label, the latest E.P. by Norwegian Roy-Arne Knutsen is bringing to the attention of the cold dark ambient lovers two 8 minutes length suites. "Fjords 1" and "Fjords 2" are two minimal growing dark ambient tracks which are able to create a crawling sensation which made me recall movies like Carpenter's "The thing". You know, something that combine the ice land landscape with the sensation of an upcoming menace. Hisses, low frequencies drones, tiny melodic patterns are making their way through your speakers catching your attention. This release is best enjoyed with headphones and is downloadable for free at http://www.silence-is-not-empty.com/mp3/Sil012.zip

I think for the stupid and simplistic it may sound, I have to open this review by saying this work is a real masterpiece. My expectations were obviously high (hey! We're talking about Robert Ashley!) also for I've read here and there Ensemble MAE was great, but it went far beyond my best expectations. The title track of this cd is simply touching (written in 2004): piano chords sewed on what seems to be a post-jazzy/contemporary scenario crossed by Ashley's voice, probably the most interesting part is how the instruments and the voice of the composer can give the impression every voice (human or instrumental) is following a speech. Both the spoken part and the instrumental one made me feel like I could have listened to this song forever. The second track instead brought to my mind some works by Steve Reich as transfigured with the peculiar style of this composer, if you liked the interpretation of Ensemble MAE in the previous episode, you can't but admire their contribution to enrich the incredible "phatos" of this second exhibit to whichh they've contributed with their personal arrangements. According to Ashley's words: "the voice should be a part of every musician's technical skills" and that partially explains why on a severe contemporary piano texture, apart from some sporadic intervention by the rest of the ensemble, you'll hear some dutch speaking narrators telling something I'm not able to discern (except for the fact somewhere they speak about cocaine, can it be?). During the fourth episode, long simple notes will be a good reminder of the fact drone music has its roots in classical compositions more than in asiatic traditional/spiritual music. The closing episode helps creating an incredible atmosphere while the players during most of the composition never produce what you would label as a normal note. The track is really spectral and it will make you shudder to listen to such an intensity. I've been listening to this work so many times, I was afraid it was just an enthusiastic first impression I've to control, but after several listenings I can let myself write get this work or give it a try It really deserves you’re attention. Brilliant.

During the latest four years of activity the Polish project Outofsight released a MCD and a couple of split CDs (with the Italian band Mushroom Patience and with Krepulec) before releasing their first full length VODKA LIKES SMOKE for Rage In Eden. Their album contains eight beautiful songs which have thousands of influences and are able to create a convincing decadent (but not mellow) atmosphere. Dedicated and inspired by the Polish beat generation of the 50's of poets of the likes of Kazimierz Raton (1942-1983), Marek Hlasko (1934-1969) and Edward Stachura (1937-1979), the project also used some of their writings on the lyrics of "I have nothing any more", "The terrified ground" "Bonfires die out" and "1996". Musically the songs are in balance between neo-folk, post punk, movie soundtracks and Balkan ballads and astonish since the first listening. "The dead base", for example, mix Polish movie samples, strings, electronics and acoustic guitar, creating a perfect dramatic soundtrack. The following "Drink or die" seems a Balkan version of The Pogues with post punk attitude. "Bonfire dies out", instead is a good neo-folk song with new wave influences and a bit of "spaghetti western" melody. The label was right to publicize this release as one of their best of the falling 2007. This is a must!

DEORA isn't the newest Rukkanor album but it is an album which deserve your attention anyway. Having been out of print for quite some time and now reissued with a new artwork, DEORA is a good example of crossover between militaristic, industrial and orchestral atmospheres with some Oriental influences for what concerns melodies and some rhythmical solution. Robert on his second album decided to made a sort of concept about Gods/men relation. On DEORA Gods are fighting for human possession and they need men to prove them their submission by battling against other people. Humans want to prove their faith by going to war and this soon became an absurd situation where only human blood will be shed (does this remember you something?). Musically DEORA is a fascinating example of orchestral music with ambient, ethnic and militaristic influences. Tracks like "Hosanna in excelsis", "Across the desert" or "Salvation" are able to create a cinematic effect full of pathos and tension. As I told you, DEORA is an album worth your attention and you should consider its purchase since it is available...