The first of a trilogy of albums to come from German ambient experimentalist Markus Mehr over the next 12 months (via Hidden Shoal Recordings), In, despite its 50-minute running time houses only two tracks.
Opener ‘Komo’ begins as a vast, uncluttered soundscape consisting primarily of several looping string sections which emerge and entwine. From around half-way, less organic elements begin to creep in, by way of thick chords of near-pure distortion and skidding beats. The final element to be introduced is a sample of a Terence McKenna quote, which repeats as the track becomes increasingly more industrial in nature, the periods of distortion coming more frequently and with greater intensity before overtaking the track almost entirely.
‘Ostinato’, by comparison, begins with the string loops already distorted and a deep undercurrent of brooding electronic fuzz. Immediately darker, a recurring piano refrain and deep cello line emerge as dominant themes; but from beneath come a range of smaller elements – snippets of music-box chimes, a recurring trumpet solo and glitchy electronic pastiches. These lesser components contribute to an air of impermanence, even decay; like snatches of memory or glimpses of distant prosperity in a foreboding sonic wilderness.
Despite the unshakable ‘man-made’ feel of In, the progression of both tracks – and the album as a whole – feels surprisingly natural. Unforced, entropic even; the sheer scale at play is huge and Mehr manages to traverse it with barely a ripple. The knowledge that this is merely a third of what he has planned makes it all the more compelling.”