Murcof - Twin Color (vol. I)

A Closer Listen

The best part of Twin Color (vol. I) is that the title promises a vol. II.  Only a month ago, we included Murcof‘s Remembranza in our list of favorite fall albums; the new set recalls that fall feeling, earth-toned and atmospheric, an ode to the onset of night.  The full production is an audiovisual performance produced in conjunction with Simon Geilfus, which can be previewed in the video below.

The opening sound comes across as a falling bomb, offset by the tender voice of Murcof’s daughter Alina, singing of “Going Home.”  One imagines some sci-fi disaster, the likes of which can be gleaned in the video for the album’s closing piece, “Fight.”  This cinematic association is transferred to the rest of the album as well.  Drones and tempo-driven electronics dive and swirl, reflecting the battle between light and dark.  The opening and closing pieces are entirely drum-free, serving as prologue and epilogue, a pair of matching bookends.

“Nobody knows why,” a narrator intones in “Cosmic Drifter;” “they just glow as they drift around the universe.” The piece is part sci-fi, part video game, beeps and lasers pinging and pew-ing across a slow, dark backdrop.  Monster chords interrupt the center of the piece, suggesting the arrival of a massive, shimmering ship.  By the end, most of the sound has receded, leaving but a forlorn creak.  “All These Worlds Parts I and II” continue to imply space exploration, awe and wonder preceding an unpleasant turn.  Through this narrative, Murcof honors a classic sci-fi tradition that stretches from “Forbidden Plant” to “Alien,” the glory of exploration chased by the hubris of colonization.

“Night Break” is the first indication that something has gone wrong, industrial beats skimming across the surface, ending in a low drone.  The bonus CD tracks “Tomorrow Part I” and “When the Need Is Gone” are inserted between these tracks, a lost narrative with mysterious vocals prefacing the downfall.  By “Tomorrow Part II” the conflict is evident.  In “They Glow,” the synth suggests a theremin, a staple of classic sci-fi films, while the title continues the theme of “Cosmic Drifter.”  The militaristic, 11-minute “Enemy,” by far the album’s longest track, sets up the bleak finale; but even then, thanks to Alina, a little hope breaks through.

So what will happen in vol. II?  We suspect some combination of the following: survivors will be found in the wreckage; a stowaway will infiltrate the invaders’ ship; a small resistance force will gather; the battle will be taken to the enemy planet.  Because Murcof’s music has always leaned into the darkness, we’re not sure how it will end; but the father-daughter collaboration implies a turn toward the light.  Bring on the sequel!  (Richard Allen)