“The Metallic Year” is a collection of eerie but affecting tracks, where sound collage and unraveling songs present a haunted world of spooling atmospheres, warped instrumentation, and disembodied voices, generated by the UK’s Alexander Tucker and New Zealand’s Daniel Beban…
The genesis of the project can be traced to the pair’s time at BBC’s Bush House, where Beban worked nights as a world service radio engineer. The basis for the project is manually spliced analogue tape loops, manipulated manually to different speeds, also accompanied by Dictaphones, instrumentation and voices.
The strong impact of the tape loops is incredibly effective, and it brings a imperceptible strength to the record – multiple listens reveal a tangible organic feel that simply would not be present had the same effects been created digitally. It’s the sort of affectionate charm old warped vinyl had – an endearing imperfection that works on multiple levels, if you’re conscious of it at all.
“The Metallic Year Pt 1” is a suitably twisted opener. You can almost visualize someone turning the crank of the tape machine as it gurgles away like a demented can opener, with a tone not unlike the sound the Tardis appearing or disappearing.
“Unseen Ticket” continues the warped vinyl theme – it’s like Ennio Morricone, at half speed with a lopsided gait, all off-kilter pianos and banjo/guitar string chimes. Some lovely bottom end tremolo stabs at the tail end.
“Of The Cloth” utilizes some distinctive vocal sounds with a shuddering and deep synth backing, dipping in and out of the nether as multiple tracks of drone flare out of the speakers, like detuned Gregorian chants.
“The Endless Body” starts as a more restrained piece, before launching into some deconstructed piano runs.
“Indosoap” is a fascinating blend of wailing background texture and manipulated layers, succeeding at bringing together multiple incongruous elements and making them all work together in tandem – no mean feat.
“Indosoap” is a fascinating blend of wailing background texture and manipulated layers, succeeding at bringing together multiple incongruous elements and making them all work together in tandem – no mean feat.
“Bvsh Hovse Ghost” swings around the speakers, neatly built around some clanging harmonics and decaying tones. Further booming vocal samples kick in, tying the second half of the record together with the tones of the first half.
“Report From Iron Mountain” is a real sound/texture piece, clattering from left to right in 50’s sci-fi menace, with spoken word textures decaying in the far right.
“Calibos” is a great penultimate track, with a culmination of the themes of the record presented in the most melodic context so far. Quite affecting.
“The Metallic Year Pt 2” closes out proceedings, amending the Tardis tones from the first track with a recap of the vocal stylings that appear in other tracks.
It’s a really engrossing record with a strong sense of personality, character, and space. “The Metallic Year” sounds like the sort of concoction that old gramophone libraries would construct out of themselves, if left to their own devices. The Escher-like cover art is brilliant as well, and would no doubt look great on the 500 copies of the vinyl that are apparently due to be released on the 24th August through Thrill Jockey Records.
Tracklisting:
The Metallic Year pt. 1
Unseen Ticket
Of the Cloth
The Endless Body
Indosoap
Bvsh Hovse Ghost
Report from Iron Mountain
Calibos
The Metallic Year pt. 2
Sources: Thrill Jockey, Fluid Radio
Unseen Ticket
Of the Cloth
The Endless Body
Indosoap
Bvsh Hovse Ghost
Report from Iron Mountain
Calibos
The Metallic Year pt. 2
Sources: Thrill Jockey, Fluid Radio
