When the promotional materials accompanying the record noted that CACHALOT is a violin and accordion duo, I did not know what to expect from their album From the depths of the abyss. Consisting of improvised and treated violin and accordion, this record is dark, anxious, and abrasive, while also being beautifully lush. With only three tracks, the album has an avant garde and surrealistic feel. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Nurse with Wound and similar artists. The first track (the entirety of side A) begins with ominous ambient violin and accordion that slowly transition into noise that eventually quiets down to what I can best describe as a tour through a dark, damp, and suffocatingly dense sewer. This dark tour eventually descends into abrasive white noise that abruptly ends. The remainder of the album segues between these themes in a way that does not feel repetitive. What I really appreciate about this album is that while it only utilizes violin and accordion, the range of sounds that Berman and Jhabvala extract from their instruments is impressive, as there are parts that sound like they were played on analog synths, guitar, organ, saxophone, and various percussive objects. I love albums with surprises, and this one has many such as quiet and subdued moments followed by long and tense stretches that peak with cacophonous bursts of noise. Also woven in are machine like rhythms and sections akin to vintage horror film soundtracks.