experimental / dark jazz
Here on Merchants Of Air, we receive albums through a number of media. Some people send CDs, others send emails, yet other contact us through our social media and here and there someone talks to me personally on a gig or festival. To be honest, I mostly forget about all but the first two. Facebook messages tend to get lost in the massive heap of notifications on that platform but once in a while an exception occurs. Those exceptions are usually caused by one or a few keywords. This time, the phrase "dark jazz" grabbed my attention, as it usually does. So, since I don't feel like playing heavy stuff, I decided to check it out.
Autger is a Russian one man project who claims to make "night music". What that is exactly? Well, in this case it seems to be slow, dark and eerie, inspired by doom and black metal but balancing on the edge between dark jazz, dark ambient and dark wave. The result is intriguing, like the bastard son of Dale Cooper Quartet and Sephiroth. Dark jazz tunes and soundscapes float freely over electronic percussion. Here and there an eerie vocal sample completes the gloomy, mysterious atmosphere.
For a die-hard dark jazz fan, this album might take some getting used to, or at least the opening song, 'Der Untergang Der Welt'. It's a strange tune that combines electronic beats with drones and only gradually explores the regions of dark jazz. But once it grasps you, it won't let go until the dark and gentle 'Prophecy' sets your mind at ease. 'Libellus Adversus Deum, Regem Et Regnum' opens with some noise, some almost hidden voices and suddenly comes up with something I can only compare to industrial electronics.
That track has some more surprises up its sleeve. Hell, Autechre suddenly comes to mind and that puts us right into the IDM scene. This album is starting to feel like a slow music megamix and I'm starting to like it a lot. On 'Regicide', the dark jazz is far off, unless it's a Scorn remix of Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Orchestra. Yes, Scorn. I don't think I need to tell you that this is quite a varied and surprising piece of work. My advice? Check it out but do it with an open mind. I don't think you will regret it.
Serge
Autger is a Russian one man project who claims to make "night music". What that is exactly? Well, in this case it seems to be slow, dark and eerie, inspired by doom and black metal but balancing on the edge between dark jazz, dark ambient and dark wave. The result is intriguing, like the bastard son of Dale Cooper Quartet and Sephiroth. Dark jazz tunes and soundscapes float freely over electronic percussion. Here and there an eerie vocal sample completes the gloomy, mysterious atmosphere.
For a die-hard dark jazz fan, this album might take some getting used to, or at least the opening song, 'Der Untergang Der Welt'. It's a strange tune that combines electronic beats with drones and only gradually explores the regions of dark jazz. But once it grasps you, it won't let go until the dark and gentle 'Prophecy' sets your mind at ease. 'Libellus Adversus Deum, Regem Et Regnum' opens with some noise, some almost hidden voices and suddenly comes up with something I can only compare to industrial electronics.
That track has some more surprises up its sleeve. Hell, Autechre suddenly comes to mind and that puts us right into the IDM scene. This album is starting to feel like a slow music megamix and I'm starting to like it a lot. On 'Regicide', the dark jazz is far off, unless it's a Scorn remix of Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Orchestra. Yes, Scorn. I don't think I need to tell you that this is quite a varied and surprising piece of work. My advice? Check it out but do it with an open mind. I don't think you will regret it.
Serge
