A Closer Listen
The war is not over. ummsbiaus emphasizes this point on Enerhomor Suite No. 2, Op. 5, a sequel of sorts to Enerhomor, released exactly one year earlier. The world tries to forget; the news media moves on; yet Ukraine continues to fight for its very existence.
The term energetic genocide can be read in two ways: as an eradication of people, and as a pulverizing of energy sources. The destruction of power plants and other energy sources has left Ukrainians facing harsh realities: fewer resources available not only to fight the russians, but to face daily existence. ummsbiaus records “an electrical palimpsest” and turns it into a modern parable.
The new EP, like its predecessor, is rife not only with industrial music, but the music of industry. Sound sources, whether they be note or current, face destruction and sputter back. Signals vanish and reappear. When power is cut to one portion of the EP, it is restored in another. In this way, the artist paints a sonic picture of a nation that keeps getting pounded and rises again and again to its feet. Even the cover figure is dark, shrouded in mystery, but undeniably there.
“Blackstart” launches the EP in a dark drone, including a sound akin to that of digging through rubble. Percussion arrives like a pulse beneath the wreckage. On “Will There Be Flames?” the industrial tones return, more confident than ever, as the artist sings wordlessly over military drums. Electronic signals weave in and out of the mix like dispatches desperate to be heard. Eventually the artist speaks in a whisper, serenaded by a brief snatch of piano that is soon engulfed by the drums. The whisper turns to a declaration, nearly a shout.
If there’s a single here, it’s probably “Misto,” due to the vocals; but it’s a dark, gothic-edged piece. One should not expect happy music to emerge from eradicated neighborhoods. “Blackout” brings the EP to a close, black to black, with glimpses of brightness in-between. The cycle continues, day after day, night after night. Which is darker, the horror of invasion or the willful ambivalence of bystanders? The voice continues as the music collapses. (Richard Allen)
Sat May 18 00:01:54 GMT 2024