Not so very long ago, I wrote what was for me the closest thing to a negative review as I'm likely to write here. That was for a Blanck Mass record. And today, I'm happy to write a far more favorable review for a new Blanck Mass one. In Ferneaux, out on Friday via Sacred Bones, is less a grueling chore to sit through than that earlier release. And it's a fairly successful album on many levels.
Neatly divided into two halves, In Ferneaux uses found sound, loops, samples, and natural noises to envelope a listener. "Phase I" unfolds simply, before erupting into keyboard washes, percolating synth-runs, and slightly abrasive noise, all before a gentle hum rolls in. The sound is space-y, in the best way, with the final minutes of the track taking on a cosmic vibe. "Phase II" is harsher for the most part, buzzing taking the place of instrumentation in spots, clanging in others. As the spoken word samples talk about the hope for spiritual bargains, sounds push outward, with the effect being a nightmarish one. Eventually, things slow and cool, and what was brightly harsh is now almost soothing. Taken as the second half of this release, it feels like we've gone on a journey from light to dark, to barely escape into the light again.
Without any heaviness about it, Blanck Mass has conjured up the sort of effect that Non and Merzbow reached for, but which here seems more accessible and considered. In a sense, there's a momentum here that recalls Steve Reich but without the obsession for the math of such music, and without the repitition of a Glass release either. Blanck Mass uses washes of sound, and volume itself to compose. And the whole record feels so much more natural than some earlier projects from this composer that I'm a fan again.
In Ferneaux is out on Friday via Sacred Bones.
[Photo: Harrison Reid]