By: Eeli Helin
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 04/07/19
Label: Astral Noize
Recordings
1.
Am Fear Liath Mór
2.
Lannraig
The Review:
Tilde is an
experimental drone project from Glasgow, led by multi-instrumentalist Fraser
Samson with a varying line-up. Their eighth release "Ayebidin" came out
digitally on June 4th, and was released on cassette by Astral Noize Records on July 18th. "Ayebidin"
consists of two prolonged, murky and humming tracks adding up to twenty five
minutes. The previous releases have also consisted of only one or two pieces
ranging from ten to fifty minutes, but since they've been putting new material
up on a very steady pace, there's certainly no shortage of it.
All
in all, drone music is extremely hard to review so that it makes any sense, but
I'll try my best. While some releases have a lot of adhesive aspects,
interesting instrumentation and fresh soundscapes, some fall short and remain
mostly as backround noise. Atmosphere is of course a key element within the
genre, which is why it also demands it's own certain time and place to listen
to. The details and delicacies easily get lost to the constant, standard noise
of world, and personally, I think music loses everything once you lose focus.
You can surely redeem the situation a bit by increasing the volume to alarming
levels, but that's merely a quick fix and not worth it. That is why music like
this has to be digested in an otherwise silent environment. I had to secure a still
moment to listen to "Ayebidin" so that I was able to
concentrate and distinguish my thoughts, and it's something I highly recommend
to everyone who wants to listen to it or finds this style interesting overall.
"Am
Fear Liath Mór" starts with a fragile and soft,
washing ambiance. Guitars start to fade in slowly, resonating on different
notes while a stronger drone seeps in. After the first five minutes, the guitar
takes a more upfront position, drenched in reverb and repeating a haunting
melody for a good while. Gaining distortion and weight along, the song deploys
a magnificent crescendo until the drums kick in. When they do, it feels like
the said weight is suddenly lifted off, and what started as a more ordinary
drone piece is transformed into a bonafide post-rock moment. The atmosphere is
hauntingly beautiful and sad throughout, and pushed right to the edge of being
mostly noise, until the driving beat stops and everything starts to eloquently
fade out. The outro portion is again familiarly lengthy, and carries the
listener perfectly to the following track.
"Lannraig"
is the shorter and more twisted track, incorporating eerie loops that grow into
daunting dimensions. The loops are well structured, giving a sense of pace and
rhythm without any conventional instrumentation. The mood starts to get
hypnotizing and distressing, wavering in and out after arriving to it's final,
cacophony-like destination after the nine minute mark. This track is very
different when compared to the other one, lacking similar movements and feel of
motion. That's not a bad thing though, I find it interesting that the songs are
so different. Both offer something that the other doesn't.
"Ayebidin"
is an intriguing release that left me looking for and listening to all the
previous material as well. In that sense, the newest one is definitely the
easiest to grasp, therefore fitting into it's place in the continuum. While
these two tracks managed to give me shivers and seemingly came a full circle, I
feel that the EP form is too short for this project. Yes, there are those damn
long individual songs making up entire releases from recent years, but those
are entirely another thing. This kept in mind, I do encourage and wish for
Tilde to take the step and produce a full-length. I don't know if they've
decided to keep it simple and release a track or two every once in a while, but
the potential for an LP is definitely there.
”Ayebidin”
is available HERE
