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Roadburn 2022: Festival Curators, Artists in Residence & Initial Lineup Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 26th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

It’s good to know the pandemic has not dulled the ambitious nature of Roadburn Festival. Earlier this year, the long-running Netherlands-based festival held Roadburn Redux and set a high standard for the notion of a “virtual event” could be. Whether or not Roadburn 2022 will have an online component as well, I simply don’t know, and frankly, I can see arguments either way. On the one hand, it sure was nifty for everyone who couldn’t travel to a real-life Roadburn to be involved in that special community. On the other hand, for next year that’s production effort and budget that could probably otherwise go to an actual stage.

The initial lineup for Roadburn 2022 contains a broad mix of styles, as one would expect/hope, including a few carryovers from 2020/2021 and some newbies. Familiar faces and not. The recently robbed Russian Circles, whose subsequent GoFundMe was super-heartening. I hope conditions in the world are such that I can be there to see them and all their new gear.

Anyway, love this. All love. Warms my heart. I don’t know all these artists. Doesn’t matter. All love.

From the PR wire:

Roadburn 2022 redefining heaviness

ROADBURN 2022: first names announced including curators and artist in residence

Redefining heaviness

Roadburn Festival has today made its first line up announcement for the 2022 edition, which will take place between April 21-24 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The majority of tickets to the festival have already been sold, but a limited number will go on sale today (October 26) at 7pm (CEST) via Ticketmaster.nl.

Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:
“After two years of not being able to host a physical festival, we’re extremely excited to actually return in 2022. Given the circumstances, everything about this has been a real challenge, but we wanted to make sure that next year’s Roadburn will be a stronghold for the forward-thinking artists we all love so much – whether genre-defining established acts or young, up-and-coming artists. We really want to reconnect them with our international community – artistically, musically and physically – and to see them do what they do best: be on stage. We want to give them a platform in front of a live audience again, as it’s time to celebrate the music they’ve written over the past two years, or the much acclaimed albums that helped us through these strange, unprecedented times.

“It’s equally exciting to have Milena Eva and Thomas Sciarone as our 2022 curators; their commissioned music project for Roadburn Redux, This Shame Should Not Be Mine, elevated GGGOLDDD to a whole new level, as it made such a huge impact – musically, emotionally, and spiritually. The intimate connection felt by everyone online will be greatly amplified at Roadburn 2022, and we could think of no one better than Milena and Thomas to get us all reconnected.”

Line Up Information

ULVER will be performing a special set to mark their return to the live arena, focussing on their most recent release, Flowers of Evil. Their headlining performance will be a continuation of Ulver’s unpredictable yet thrilling career arc and of the passion for innovative music that fuels Roadburn.

Roadburn’s 2022 curators are Milena Eva and Thomas Sciarone of the Dutch band GGGOLDDD; as well as hand-picking elements of the festival line up, they will join the rest of the band to perform the commissioned music they wrote for this year’s Roadburn Redux event – a piece entitled This Shame Should Not Be Mine.

As part of the curated element of Roadburn, LITURGY – the avant-garde black metal band – will be performing their 2019 album H.A.Q.Q in full, as well as bringing to life their 2020 album Origin of the Alimonies, performing it as an opera on the main stage in sync with a film created by Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, accompanied by a chamber orchestra. Milena and Thomas will also present the European debut of BACKXWASH – the celebrated artist fuses rap and metal, and will perform two special sets at Roadburn – and performances from DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE, and MIDWIFE.

Further commissioned projects – originally planned for 2020 – will finally see the light of day as JAMES KENT (PERTURBATOR) joins forces with JOHANNES PERSSON (CULT OF LUNA) to perform Final Light. Cellist JO QUAIL will perform her commissioned piece, entitled The Cartographer, and VILE CREATURE and BISMUTH will unite to perform A Hymn of Loss and Hope.

Elsewhere on the bill Roadburn welcomes back some familiar faces such as RUSSIAN CIRCLES and PRIMITIVE MAN, whilst also inviting some new and mysterious members to the Roadburn family, such as underground black metal bands LAMP OF MURMUUR and KOLDOVSTVO. For full details of what has been announced so far, please see the links below. Stay tuned for more line up announcements in the coming weeks.

ALCEST – performing Écailles de Lune

BACKXWASH – performing two special sets; European debut

BIG BRAVE

BLAK SAAGAN – performing Se Ci Fosse La Luce Sarebbe Bellissimo

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE

DÖDSRIT

FACELESS ENTITY

FULL OF HELL – Artists in Residence, performing four sets

GGGOLDDD – performing commissioned music, This Shame Should Not Be Mine

GREEN LUNG – performing Black Harvest

HELMS ALEE

JAMES KENT & JOHANNES PERSSON – performing commissioned music, Final Light

JO QUAIL – performing commissioned piece, The Cartographer

KOLDOVSTVO – performing Ни царя, ни бога

LAMP OF MURMUUR – European debut

LILI REFRAIN

LITURGY – performing H.A.Q.Q and Origin of the Alimonies

MIDWIFE

MILENA EVA & THOMAS SCIARONE – Roadburn 2022 curators

NOTHING

PRIMITIVE MAN

RUSSIAN CIRCLES

SÓLSTAFIR – performing Svartir Sandar

SPIRTUAL POISON

THE HOLY FAMILY

TRIALOGOS

ULVER

VILE CREATURE & BISMUTH – performing commissioned music, A Hymn of Loss and Hope

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Roadburn Announces ‘Roadburn Redux’ 2021 Programming Series

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 4th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

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Well, here we are. You knew Roadburn Festival wasn’t going to let 2021 pass without cooking up something special, and you knew that something special wasn’t going to be an actual four-or-five-day, go-to-it-in-person fest. So here comes Roadburn Redux, which kind of sounds to me like they’re inventing the Roadburn Channel with a ton of exclusive performances, streams, full-albums and the like. It of course seems like a massive undertaking, and though you’re watching it from your couch instead of from in front of the stage at the 013 in Tilburg, somehow Roadburn has still managed to be completely overwhelming. Heartfelt kudos on that.

This is the first I’m seeing of this lineup, so don’t think I have any insider information on this at all. I don’t know what the status of the Roadburn ‘zine, the Weirdo Canyon Dispatch, might be. I had heard they wanted to do one, but that was a while back and I think before this actually started to come together. When/if I hear something in that regard, I’ll let you know, but frankly, it looks like they have enough on their plate without. Call me crazy.

Me? Looking forward to all the Svart stuff. New band Dust Mountain, Hexvessel doing Dawnbreaker, Polymoon. Sounds good to me. Otherwise it’s Roadburn being Roadburn: delightfully weird, loaded with exclusives, forward-thinking and on a level of its own.

Here’s the info from the PR wire:

ROADBURN REDUX: Redefining heaviness with exclusive performances and premieres – wherever you are in the world.

Roadburn 2021 will be taking place in an unfamiliar format, but will retain the hallmarks of what makes the usual editions a must-attend event for fans of heavy music around the globe. This online version of the festival, titled Roadburn Redux, will feature performances broadcast live from the 013 venue in Tilburg, as well as pre-recorded and exclusive content, and will take place between April 16-18. Despite these new obstacles, Roadburn will showcase the very best of cutting edge performances, and highlight the most innovative and engaging artists in the Roadburn universe; everything available to access as part of Roadburn Redux will be exclusive – either a commissioned project or a premiere. The poster artwork for Roadburn Redux is by Lucile Lejoly.

A series of performances due to take place at the 013 venue have been confirmed – see below for more information – which will be broadcast live via a specially designed website featuring a live blog with a continuous stream of content. Alongside those transmissions from Tilburg, Roadburn will host exclusive content from a variety of artists, including further commissioned work and exclusive performances.

Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers, comments: “The last year has been incredibly difficult for everybody to navigate; keeping safe is paramount, but it often came at the expense of the ‘normal’ life we’d come to enjoy. For us, that meant a halt to Roadburn as we knew it. However, Roadburn Redux gives us the opportunity to reconnect with the artists and community that are at the heart of Roadburn; to bring a bit of joy, friendship, inspiration, and most of all hope in these difficult times. I’m thrilled by the performances we’ve already secured – the format might be different, but the spirit of Roadburn remains strong.”

Roadburn Redux has been made possible due to the support from Brabant C, Gemeente Tilburg, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Provincie Noord-Brabant, Bavaria 8.6, Ticket to Tilburg.

BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE 013 – COMMISSIONED PROJECTS

DEAD NEANDERTHALS PERFORMING IXXO
With the irrepressible duo bursting at the seams with creative ideas, we knew they’d be perfect candidates for one of the all new commissioned projects for Roadburn 2021. At the time of writing this, the project is still being developed but already has us hooked, keen to find out exactly what’s in store come April. Otto and René have teamed up with Dutch singer/songwriter Aafke Romeijn, and Jonge Woudloper, one of the musicians in Aafke’s band, to create IXXO.

DIE WILDE JAGD PERFORMING ATEM
Injecting some much needed freshness into what can sometimes be a stagnant scene, Die Wilde Jagd can reasonably be described as experimental at any given time – their heady blend of psychedelic electronic-rock futurism is intoxicating – but under the banner of a Roadburn commissioned project christened Atem, experimentation has truly run wild.

DIRK SERRIES PERFORMING EPITAPH
For this special Roadburn performance, Roadburn regular, Dirk Serries will be creating and improvising alongside Tom Malmendier on drums and Rutger Zuydervelt on electronics. Having already collaborated with both previously, but never in this exact configuration, we’re sure to be in for a treat.

GOLD PERFORMING THIS SHAME SHOULD NOT BE MINE
Having long been fans of their output, and knowing that they were the sort of artists that could take an idea and run with it, we were also convinced that they would relish the task of creating a commissioned piece for Roadburn Festival. Due to social restrictions, the core writing duo of Thomas and Milena commenced the writing for this project at home; the performance will feature the full GOLD line up as the debut this cathartic and bold creation.

JO QUAIL PERFORMING THE CARTOGRAPHER
Jo Quail performing The Cartographer is the only commissioned piece from 2020’s Roadburn line up to be carried over into 2021. Jo’s intention is to explore heaviness and to focus on exploring the juxtaposition between classical and more contemporary music, in this case post-metal. Jo will join forces with Rotterdam’s highly regarded New Trombone Collective – a group of trombonists who pride themselves on innovation, creativity and collaboration – to work towards communicating specific feelings through their combined output.

NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM PERFORMING SET CHAOS TO THE HEART OF THE MOON
If you’ve already experienced something of Neptunian Maximalism, you’ll already know that the best way to listen to them is to give yourself over completely. For the uninitiated it’s time to shake off your inhibitions and let loose! For this performance commissioned by Roadburn, they will explore their 2020 album, Éons, in a completely new way.

OF BLOOD AND MERCURY PERFORMING THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH
Of Blood and Mercury will perform a commissioned piece called The Other Side of Death, a soundtrack that will move us through the first moments of after-life. They promise that our earthly perception of time, space, sound, and feeling will fall apart. Not fully here, nor there, nowhere and everywhere; the lie about death is the beginning of the lie about life.

RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON PERFORMING THUS SPOKE THE BEHOLDER
They say that good things come in threes – and 2021 will mark the third Roadburn appearance for Dutch experimentalists, Radar Men From The Moon. The Eindhoven-based space-travellers will descend on Tilburg for a special performance of a commissioned piece they have titled Thus Spoke The Beholder. Having always embraced evolution within the fuzzed-out confines of RMFTM, this six-piece have taken on the task with relish.

SOLAR TEMPLE PERFORMING THE GREAT STAR ABOVE PROVIDES
Lurking in some of the darkest corners of the Dutch black metal scene we found Solar Temple – an entirely studio-focussed duo featuring members of Fluisteraars and Turia – and couldn’t resist tempting them out into the bright lights for this very special edition of Roadburn. Marking their first ever live performance, this commissioned project is the next step in the band’s evolution.

TDC INC. PERFORMING CORPORATE
With time it was inevitable that both PRSPCT and Roadburn would come together, as we share a kindred anti-authoritarian spirit while defying musical borders as well. Most of us will have to wait for another time for a face to face experience of their head on collision of old school drum and bass, electronic violence and black metal. However, as their asphyxiating maelstrom of bludgeoning beats, guitars and imagery is still very urgent, it prompted us to make sure that both the label and The Dead Cvlt are part of Roadburn Redux commissioned music projects, as we’re beyond intrigued to see and hear how the confinement of the pandemic has influenced their artistry.

THE NEST PERFORMING HER TRUE NATURE
The Nest is a collaboration between members of Wolvennest and some special – as yet unannounced – guests. Each individual participating retains their own signature sound and identity, but comes together to create something unified. This entirely original, commissioned performance will combine meditative, ritualistic elements with psychedelic sounds and blackened doom metal, as well as uniting a group of long-time friends on stage for the first time together in this constellation.

BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE 013 – ALBUM PREMIERES

AUTARKH PERFORMING FORM IN MOTION
Tilburg has cemented its importance for underground heavy bands with a steady trickle of innovative and compelling bands making their ways out into the wider world. The latest such band is Autarkh, who – we are delighted to announce – will be performing their debut album in full for us this April. Founding member of Dodecahedron, Michel Nienhuis, teamed up with producer Joris Bonis (Dodecahedron, Ulsect), guitarist David Luiten and electronic composer / producer Tijnn Verbruggen to create the oppressive, claustrophobic and totally exhilarating wild ride that is Form In Motion.

DIE WILDE JAGD PERFORMING HAUT
Having spent most of 2020 familiarising ourselves with the spacious, meditative, and yet still distinctly experimental beauty of Haut, we asked the mastermind behind Die Wilde Jagd, Sebastian Lee Philipp, who is joined on stage by Ran Levari on drums, if they’d consider playing the whole thing in full for us at Roadburn 2021. Fortunately for us – and for you – they agreed.

EMPTINESS PERFORMING VIDE
Back in 2017 Emptiness shrouded Het Patronaat with their tenebrous black metal atmospherics in such a way that a return visit was always going to be on the cards – just the when and where were in question. We’re delighted to announce that Emptiness will perform their sixth studio offering in its entirety at Roadburn in April, and no doubt leave us all questioning our version of reality. To listen to Vide on record is to let the rolling fog pin us down and envelop us, to witness it live may just consume us entirely.

PLAGUE ORGAN PERFORMING ORPHAN
The duo comprising of René Aquarius (Cryptae, Imperial Cult, Horrid Apparition, Imperial Cult, Dead Neanderthals, etc) and recording engineer Marlon Wolterink (White Noise Studio and one half of the band Meglamancha) is a black/death/noise amalgam that will give you nightmares for weeks to come. Their live debut was originally due to happen at Le Guess Who? Festival in 2020 so the legendary festival is collaborating with us to present this show as part of Roadburn Redux.

WOLVENNEST PERFORMING TEMPLE
Having conquered the main stage at Roadburn once, Wolvennest are returning to do the same this April, as they perform their brand new album, Temple, in full. Due for release in March, you’ll have just enough time to get acquainted with their latest missive before we’re well and truly sucked into their dark but strangely alluring netherworld.

ONLINE
The full online programme for Roadburn Redux will be announced in due course, but as a statement of intent and an indicator of the high quality performances that will be presented, we’re thrilled to confirm that as part of our pre-recorded exclusive content we’ll have…

THE SVART SESSIONS
Think The Old Grey Whistle Test on acid; imagine a Jools Holland psychedelic special and you’ll be heading in the right direction. The Svart Sessions will feature brand new signings and established artists side by side, all connected to the notoriously fertile psych rock scene in Tampere. These six performances truly encapsulate the very best of the Finnish heavy, psych and freak-folk underground scene – delivered right into your home this April. Read more about Roadburn and Svart here.

The Svart Sessions will feature:

DUST MOUNTAIN
(feat. members of Oranssi Pazuzu, Dark Buddha Rising, Death Hawks)
International live debut, performing songs from their forthcoming Svart Records debut.

HEXVESSEL PERFORMING DAWNBEARER
Hexvessel celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their debut record Dawnbearer, by performing the album in full, exclusively for Roadburn Festival 2021!

ITERUM NATA
Personal psychedelic occult folk created by Hexvessel lead guitarist Jesse Heikkinen, plays an intimate acoustic show of songs from his 2020 album Bardo Disorder, in his first live stream ever.

KAIRON; IRSE!
Kosmische post-rock prog-freaks Kairon; IRSE!’s first ever live stream video, as they play tracks from their critically acclaimed new album Polysomn in full.

POLYMOON
Young rising stars, present their six track psych prog explosion Caterpillars of Creation in its entirety exclusively for Roadburn Festival 2021!

A SECRET COLLABORATION…
A special and exciting collaboration between some highly revered members of the Finnish psych rock underground, with more details to be divulged at a later date!

TICKETS & INFO
Roadburn Redux is available to attend on a ‘pay what you like’ basis, from anywhere in the world. Head to RoadburnRedux.com to RSVP and bookmark the page.

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Polymoon, Caterpillars of Creation (2020)

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Roadburn 2019: Thou to be Artist-in-Residence; Cave In, Daughters, Messa, Ulcerate and More Added

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 13th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

roadburn 2019 banner

Oh, Roadburn. Even after all these years, you continue to be the stuff of daydreams. In some of my grimmest hours of self-loathing and if-you-need-me-I’ll-be-sticking-a-t-shirt-in-the-muffler-and-listening-to-Anathema-in-the-car fetishizing, I think of the sun shining through the henge of Weirdo Canyon and press on toward another April to come. You are the center of every year and you continue to inspire. As exhausting as you are — and you are — you are a spiritual rejuvenation that is unparalleled in my experience. I consider myself fortunate and a richer person for having you in my life.

Here’s only a small part of why. If you get it, you get it. Tickets are on sale Oct. 4. They’ll go. Don’t miss them:

More names for Roadburn 2019 – including Artist In Residence; ticket onsale date confirmed.

– CAVE IN to play Roadburn 2019
– OLD MAN GLOOM return to the festival
– THOU confirmed as Artist In Residence
– Plus more…

CAVE IN

We are thrilled to confirm that CAVE IN will be performing at Roadburn. At the 2018 edition of Roadburn, Stephen Brodsky and Adam McGrath paid a moving tribute to bandmate Caleb Scofield who died the previous month, with an acoustic set of covers and CAVE IN tracks. As the audience and band members alike found catharsis through music, we wouldn’t have begrudged them one bit if this performance was the closest we ever got to CAVE IN at Roadburn.

When whispers reached us that CAVE IN would potentially be open to a Roadburn set for 2019 – our interest was well and truly piqued. Some months later, we’re beyond delighted to say it’s true – it’s really happening.

Stephen Brodsky comments:

“Without question, it’s a high honor of artistic merit to perform at Roadburn. Members of CAVE IN have had the fortune of playing with other bands/projects in years past. Seems only a matter of time that we’d do a proper set at one of the best festivals on the planet devoted to forward-thinking music. We hope you’ll join us for a celebratory sonic lift-off into Roadburn 2019.”

CAVE IN will perform on Saturday, 13 April.

OLD MAN GLOOM

Since OLD MAN GLOOM last played Roadburn in 2014, a lot has changed. Later that year they released The Ape of God, and The Ape of God… a pair of identically named albums which were challenging in all the right ways, and a few of the wrong ways too.

Following the death of bassist, Caleb Scofield, earlier this year, OLD MAN GLOOM vowed to continue what they had already started. Stephen Brodsky will be handling bass duties for this performance, and in turn Nate Newton will be taking on the role for Cave In’s set. This collaborative trip across the pond is made by a group of friends united by love and a desire to celebrate the life of Caleb. To that effect, OLD MAN GLOOM promise a special set at Roadburn and more details will be available in due course.

OLD MAN GLOOM will perform on Sunday, 14 April.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: THOU

There are a few pretty immovable parts of Roadburn these days; traditions that we maintain to showcase the best and brightest in our little world. One of these cornerstones is our Artist In Residence – a band or solo artist who will perform multiple times across the weekend, and with each set they showcase a different facet of their creativity. Past artists in residence include Earthless, Gnod and Misþyrming

The choice for 2019 was… easy. If there’s one band who have surpassed themselves – and arguably many of their peers – in terms of creative output this year, it’s THOU. They will play four times across the weekend; there will be a collaborative set, a covers set, an acoustic set, and a Magus era set. What exact form those performances take, and the details of them will unfold between now and… well, the moment they step on stage for each of those specific sets.

THOU will perform on each day of the festival.

CURATED: HENRIK PALM

The first artist out of the bag for Tomas Lindberg’s The Burning Darkness curated event at Roadburn 2019 is none other than HENRIK PALM. Tomas explains his choice:

“His name should ring a bell with everybody into anything heavier in our beloved alternative underground scene. He has been a part of seminal bands such as In Solitude and Ghost, and also more “off the map” bands such as the groundbreaking Pig Eyes.

“When I finally got to see him live some time ago, the performance just blew me away. Be sure to not miss out on this. It’s a must see show.”

HENRIK PALM will perform on Saturday, April 13 as part of Tomas Lindberg’s The Burning Darkness curated event.

ALSO ANNOUNCED:

Chaotic shapeshifters DAUGHTERS will make their Roadburn debut

DRAB MAJESTY will transcend time and space at Roadburn 2019

Prepare for a brain-altering, bone-shifting experience with ULCERATE

IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT will exclusively perform tracks from their recent release Vile Luxury

GOLD return to Roadburn and will showcase new material and launch their new album

WOLVENNEST will perform Void in full on the Main Stage with special guest musicians

MESSA will take us on a transcendent journey

Poland’s MORD’A’STIGMATA to crush all hope when they play Roadburn 2019.

TICKETS:

Tickets for Roadburn 2019 will go on sale on Thursday, October 4. They will be available to purchase in person from Sounds Tilburg record store (from 6pm) for those in the vicinity. For those further afield, tickets will be available from Ticketmaster.nl from 8pm CEST/ 7pm BST/ 2pm EDT. We recommend setting up a Ticketmaster.nl account in advance.

Tickets will be priced as follows:
3 days ticket €181 + €4,50 service fee
4 days ticket €204 + €4,50 service fee
Day ticket (Thu, Fri or Sat) €62 + 4,50 service fee
Sunday ticket €55,50 + €4,50 service fee

News regarding the the new luxury cabins at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park, and information regarding the 2019 Urban Campsite in Tilburg will be available ahead of tickets going on sale.

The artists performing at Roadburn 2019 are:
Birds In Row
Cave In
Curator: Tomas Lindberg
Daughters
Drab Majesty
Gold
Gore
Have A Nice Life
Heilung
Henrik Palm
Imperial Triumphant
Louise Lemón
Messa
Midnight
Mord’a’Stigmata
Old Man Gloom
Seven That Spells
Sleep
Thou
Ulcerate
Vile Creature
Wolvennest

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Stephen Brodsky & Adam McGrath, Tribute to Caleb Scofield at Roadburn 2018

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Drcarlsonalbion, Gold: Once upon a Time in the West

Posted in Reviews on June 19th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

It should stand to reason that any Dylan Carlson solo outing released under the banner of Drcarlsionalbion (also stylized in all-caps or all-lowercase) should have a certain amount of continuity with Earth, since as much as that band has become a rotating-member collaboration, Carlson‘s guitar remains the driving force of it. He’s done a few solo releases at this point, a Latitudes session in 2012 brought particularly resonant results (review here), but the latest, Gold, has the distinction of being Carlson‘s first soundtrack work. That in itself is a little surprising. One wonders if it’s something he’s particularly avoided doing over the years or just never got around to with Earth. As focused on atmosphere as Earth has been since returning from a multi-year hiatus with 2005’s Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method — a landmark the influence of which continues to be felt nearly a decade later — to tap them for soundtrack work seems like a natural fit. Even working on his own, that proves to be the case with Carlson and Gold. The 24-piece offering serves as the score to a German western of the same name set and filmed in Canada, and Carlson sounds well in his element on these tracks, which vary from noodly snippets like the 18-second “Gold VIII” to full-song breadth like the closing “Gold XXIV,” which has enough of an end-credit feel at just under five minutes (it’s also the longest inclusion) to evoke a sense of finality even without the silence that follows. Through it all, Carlson‘s tone is very much his own, and clearly intent on portraying open spaces and an undercurrent of foreboding that never comes to outright terror, but lingers vague in the distance.

Watching the film and hearing Carlson‘s guitar complement footage of horses walking slowly through desolate woods, one can’t help but think of Jim Jarmusch‘s 1995 western, Dead Man, and Neil Young‘s guitar score for that, which had a similar echoing feel in places and which was a noted point of inspiration for Carlson with Earth‘s Hex album. Part of the appeal of Carlson‘s work over the years has been interpreting the feelings and emotions contained in what are usually very minimalist atmospheres, figuring out where the music wants to take you and then going to that place, and on that level, Gold taps into some of the similar big sky, wide-angle Americana that Hex did, though the spirit of this release is different because very often it jumps from one piece to the next before an ambience is fully set. That keeps Gold from really being able to be evaluated as a full-length album, but if you catch it in the right headspace, the vibe is open enough and consuming enough that you can get lost in Gold without really even realizing, the 44-minute span not a slog to wade through, but a well-honed dronescape comprised of individual glimpses. It is minimal — Carlson and his guitar. As Earth have expanded their sound in multiple directions over the last nine-plus (really almost 25) years around Carlson and drummer Adrienne Davies who joined in 2001, Drcarlsonalbion seems to be the place the guitarist retreats to in order to be alone with the frequencies he crafts. There are some other noises far back in the mix on “Gold V” and elsewhere, an obscure sense of someone hitting something with something else, an actual tom hit on “Gold XI,” but Gold has a lonesome sound and that’s clearly the intent from the beginning.

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