IRR. APP. (EXT.) - Cosmic Superimposition

According to Wilhelm Reich's theories, the superimposition of two systems of orgone energy, verifiable in the sexual act, reveals itself to be the operating principle of nature and its phenomena; from the northern lights to hurricanes, to the motion and shape of celestial bodies.

“Cosmic Superimposition” is the second installment of a trilogy inspired by Reichian theory, following the successful “Ozeanische Gefühle”, released in 2004 on Helen Scarsdale Agency. The man behind it is Matthew Waldron, who operates under the name irr. app. (ext.), a close collaborator of Steve “Nurse With Wound” Stapleton, and, for this writer (and not only him), one of the most interesting post-industrial “experimenters” of recent years. Even though he doesn't enjoy much visibility, at least not here in Italy.

Across the forty-four minutes of this suite, Waldron plays with harmonies built on the most fragile of balances, which seem to be constantly on the verge of shattering. The first twenty minutes or so actually flow without much friction (or almost), in a steady ambient crescendo enriched by field recordings and assorted musique concrète touches. But it's a dark flow, something you might call judgment-day material, nothing like cosmic attunements or intoxicating divine communions... Then comes the fallout, and the linear progression falls apart. So, after an interlude of alien noises, the listening space finds itself saturated with bands of sound intersecting with no preordained rule, creating ever-shifting structures. It's almost a Markov chain, where the sound seems to depend elusively on its immediately preceding state and nothing else.

Listening on headphones, you'll get the impression that your body is merely a conduit through which energy radiates out into the cosmos, resonating with it... ok, ok, setting aside any para-new age nonsense, “Cosmic Superimposition” is among the best things I've come across this year in the concrete ambient field.

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10/12/2007