Erzs-bet – Y2062 (2014)

Radio Stalingrad

• Dark ambient 
• Illbient 
• Ambient noise
• Post-industrial 
• Leftfield
• Electronic music 
• Dystopbient 
• Ambient drone 
• Avant-garde 
• Drone 
• Experimentalism 
• Sound art

Comment: either to understand is this issue decoded or encoded it depends on the viewer`s perspective and keen ability to imagine. For instance, the compositions on it are titled in the following way: Y2022, Y2042, [-1-], [-2-], [–Tran-Sition–], and Y2062. This issue of 13 minutes is produced by the Aussie Reuben Petrovski and being released on an experimental music-oriented imprint called Radio Stalingrad which face to face with the aforementioned titles would freely be denoted as the Battle (of) Stalingrad. At least it could be imagined as a battle between the ghosts of the soldiers who succumbed during it. Indeed, emotionally these six wiggly compositions chime in a morbid and ghastly way because desolate spatial droning of empty fields and fluffy anti-gravitational sensations are followed up by clattery dissonant noises wherein one can make difference between black and brownish noise, between the soil and air. Later on, the artist exploits ghastly sounds as if being lead through the aether to convey a secret message. Is it from one dead ones to other dead ones or is from the dead ones to the living ones? Or vice versa? Emotionally it is remarkably more overwhelming than an average pop song. Aesthetically it is a case where one could see a sort of beauty through gruesome progressions and fascinating ugliness. 

Edmahnd – Henosis (2014)

Radio Stalingrad

• Dark ambient 
• Illbient 
• Ambient 
• Soundscapes 
• Avant-garde 
• Minimalism 
• Experimentalism 
• Sound art

Comment: I can remember for Brian Eno once set out to visualise ambient music as furniture music. I guess he had not yet the idea of dark ambient and illbient music, which does have a sonic similarity but of which ideological standpoints hold many millions of miles far from the ones of ambient music. You get convinced in that any time by listening to another dark ambient/illbient issue, for instance Edmahnd`s Henosis on Radio Stalingrad. The 3-track issue’s sources are profound and ominous despite consisting of a monochromatic fabric and endless echoes and incessant iterations. By its nature it is a sort of minimal music though loaded with adversarial emotions and frightening sensations. It sounds as if foreseeing an impending doom of unknown nature and heritage. The direction of the danger is also unknown but it is perceivable being somewhere around there. From day to day such type of music is being produced and we are the only subjects from whom the message is being addressed. I hope we are not stupid enough to ignore it blatantly. Get it, love it or…love it.