American experimental electronic
noise band Yellow Swans return with what is
supposedly their final studio album. Yellow Swans
create subtle yet somehow harsh electronic
soundscapes that merge a bit of that frenzied punk
energy with a lonesome sound of early ambient noise.
Constant touring in the early 2000s brought the
group a small but strong fan base and apparently
opened the door to the world of noise
experimentalists. As a duo, Yellow Swans’
sound seems more rooted somewhere in Noise/Post rock
more than abstract electronic walls of sound.
However, Yellow Swans have a unique ability
to improvise and relay torrents of high frequency
feedback in a subtle way which will calm you more
than distort you. Whereas most industrial noise
bands have an abrasive and mind numbing buzz Yellow
Swans release a slow, sombre and almost meditative
quality to their fuzzy lush soundscapes.
However in 2008 the duo broke and the split was met
with shock from hardcore fans all over, fans who
have painstakingly sought limited edition CDr's,
cassettes and vinyl. For me, it was no shock at all,
simply because I’ve never heard of them before and
it is now 2010.
A little late perhaps? Or never too late? Either way
I’m listening now and enjoying now and will do for
years to come I’m sure. So this new record; ‘Going
Places’ supposedly their final studio album to be
recorded and released; The album was recorded in the
downtime following constant touring, and it displays
a more concise approach when compared with the
earlier improvised viciousness they project at your
little sore ears. Gloomy ridden drone soundscapes;
yep, that’s what they sound like, that’s what I get
from it; and from what I’ve heard most of their
stuff is Gloom ridden droney soundscapes, but I
wouldn’t have it any other way. In a way I’d say it
sounds like something between Throbbing Gristle
and Wolfeyes but with a mellow approach.
Yellow Swans
Despite the amount of industrial noisy landscapey
stuff that knocks about these days this record
really sticks out for me, as you listen, the whole
thing moves deeper into a vicious world of
electronic mastery. The duo are well-known for their
improvisational approach to music, often creating
unique experiences for audiences at each live
performance and this record, doesn’t really differ.
Unique sonic structures support the background
noises’ noises that you think you know but can’t
quite recognise, people talking, animal’s squawking
etc. The epic "Sovereign" is probably one of the
best songs on the album; on it they slowly build to
a never ending.... end; continually ‘feed backing’,
layering and adding to the track until the
distortion has completely swallowed you under and
you’ve forgotten where you are. Elsewhere, the album
sounds like you’re stuck in a metal barrel in some
kind of ominous jungle; you know you’re safe in your
barrel, but you know there’s a whole load of stuff
just outside it.
Stretched out guitar lines scream out melodic
visions that in many ways send you into hypnotic
daydreams. I’ve said this before about industrial
noisy stuff, It's easy to respect the sort of things
they do/make, the whole creative process, but it's
not quite as easy to listen to the music whenever,
wherever. You will have to be in a distinct mood to
be able to give this a full listen; given the right
mood you could easily sail through this record
yearning for more...
If you like things like Sun 0)), Wolfeyes,
Labradford, GAS and stuff like that
then you’re bound to like this. The band them self
describe their music as "a constantly evolving mass
of psychedelic noise that is both physically
arresting and psychically liberating”.
