Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Misner Space - Golorium (TQ34)



trichome terror for resin-coated receptors. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief


Golorium is an absolute zoner from the latest batch of Tranquility Tapes.  The batch keeps things fresh by promulgating a darker, heavier sound; rather than the warm ambient paeans of the recent past, the sounds on Golorium - by Hamilton, Ontario based, Misner Space - and Turning Point, by Andreas Brandal, traverse different zones that are foreboding and brooding, yet emit the same alluring aural candy that one expects from a Tranquility release.  Beneath the pastoral artwork of Caroline Teagle churns an opaque, sprawling psychedelic concoction of guitar, synth, electronics, and vocals that removes the filter and permeates the eager mind.  At times the music drifts eerily through the hazy atmosphere, making the listener curious about the next step.  The description that accompanies the tape is apt: "they manage to straddle the distant lines of beautiful, playful, and downright creepy all at once."  All one can do is press play, turn off the lights, and hope that the conduit is still intact for the return trip.

Pure dread and unease expand in the room like musty smoke as one presses play.  Twisted voices tremble and coil over churning metallic sounds, while ominous tones form a solid foundation.  And, as the music - concomitantly scary and beautiful - becomes more intense, one begins to yearn for their woobie.  The pace of the first track boils with suspense.  Ostensibly gone, the beautiful vocals reappear next to swirling vibrations.  On the flipside, mangled transmissions and echos of yesteryear lightly manifest.  Without ambiguity, there is a lighter edge to the beginning of the second side.  Sounds imbued with a comfortable lethargy progressively turn brooding, as caustic shrieks and vocal incantations descend from the spectral sky - music that breathes with anticipation.  Contemplative and whimsical notes languidly pervade the haze in the last section of this track.

The music that comprises Golorium is a real head trip!  Produced on chrome cassettes and pro-dubbed, Golorium glows brightly with the beautiful designs of Caroline Teagle.  With only a few copies remaining, purchase one directly from Tranquility Tapes.

peace and love, friends :)