Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Yen Pox & Troum - Mnemonic Induction [Transgredient - 2015]

Brooding, droning, dark ambient legends Yen Pox & Troum see a long awaited, re-mastered re-issue of their 2002 collaborative release, Mnemonic Induction. Coming to us on an 8-panel digipack from Transgredient Records, this lush, sonic dreamscape captures two brilliant acts working together from 1996-2002. With only four tracks making up this 63+ opus, one is invited into a churning, slowly moving, skillfully evolving LP that will allow the mind to roam and explore previously undiscovered caverns of the subconscious.

Opening with a distant rumbling like the heaving Earth, Mnemonic Induction slowly rises like the sun on a far off horizon. Subtle, echoed, percussive hits add a natural, primitive undertone to the airy, open, higher drones as the gas giant moves further skyward. Interestingly, this rise leads to a sudden decent into subterranean caverns where the glint of the sun won't be seen and the warmth of its rays won't be felt. Time is spent exploring this vast expanse, and the lack of borders allows the mind to drift in healthy ways. This exploration works well as the second track begins with a very meditative drone safely in the distance. Shimmering like light on a pond, near chant drones add a depth that reinforces the mystic, inner mind vibe. Floating through space and time on breathing waves of sound, the midpoint of the album has revealed quite a journey already. Taking a break from the mental excursion, the physicality of track three reminds the listener that they're being shown the sights of an alien land by two masters. The interplay of the layers creates sonic curtains that writhe and crash into each other like waves of earth in a quake. Slowly lumbering, but staying their course, these layers expose more of their inner qualities as the song progresses. Joined by spectral pterosaur highs, the full spectrum is on display, and it's quite a treat for the ears. Closing out Mnemonic Induction is the descent into the deepest, most cavernous track yet. Describing a breathtaking space with only subtle drones is an impressive feat. Playful sounds come forward like rustic windchimes being shaken by an unseen wind that slowly overtakes the listener and knocks him further into the unknown.
 
Yen Pox & Troum are two very skilled artists that create lush, sonic landscapes, so it's no wonder their collaboration is wonderfully vivid. Allowing the mind to drift on its own journey seems to be the M.O. on Mnemonic Induction, and the respite from the drudgery of modern life is welcomed. This re-mastered re-issue should please any discerning fan of dark ambient, if not just for the beauty contained, but the excellent job in which Transgredient has done with it.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Paul Casey
Latest Reviews

Yen Pox & Troum - Mnemonic Induction
Brooding, droning, dark ambient legends Yen Pox & Troum see a long awaited, re-mastered re-issue of their 2002 collaborative release, Mnemonic Induction....
290324   Piranha - Piranha(DVD)
280324   Typhoon Club - Typhoon Club(B...
270324   Jerzy Skolimowski Collection ...
260324   Latex Choker - Sealed
260324   Occlusion - 59: No Input Wall
260324   Nihil Impvlse - Anabasis
260324   Marta Forsberg - Sjunger För...
260324   The New Boy - The New Boy( Th...
250324   The Stargazer’s Assistant - ...
250324   Liza Lim - Annunciation Trip...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom