seven

this boxset contains a full-length by frames a second ("disoriented express") and a little 3" with four tracks, appropriately titled "frames.sotz.v2". this is a second full-length cd after "nature in reverse" on daft records.

"disoriented xpress" greets you with a thick layered wall of sound; its cold percussion drones would remind you of industrial harshness of early ah cama-sotz; rhythmic pulses are dipped into modulated frequencies and cold atmospheric sweeps and strings. the album has a haunting. mesmerizing feel, fortunately keeping its strong original sound, combining dark corroded ambience with slowly pulsating heavy industrial.

"disoriented express" has all those elements I have been looking for in the genre - a perfect combination of layered abrasive ambience and slowly building heavy percussion - none of these shallow hyper rhythms geared solely towards the dancefloor. this album might not use currently popular drum&bass or glitch elements, but it resurrects the eerie, aggressive atmosphere (that really benefits from clean production).

3" with ah cama-sotz is a lot more aggressive, compared to their previous collaboration ("ankh/deceptive rate" split). herman presents "tempore brumali" and "labyrinth"; both are "cleaner" and more percussion-oriented than frames', with added tribal feel. "disorder" and "terra" by frames a second balance ah cama-sotz with waves of processed electronics shaped by comparatively slower percussion.

altogether this is a great release that any fan of rhythmic noise or dark ambient should not overlook. I hope that spectre is a big enough label at this point to ensure that this album will get the recognition it deserves.