Black Swan – In 8 movements

Black Swan the musician should not be confused with the forthcoming film of the same name. For while the Darren Aronofsky movie is essentially a tale of identity, the loss of innocence and the battle between dark and light, Black Swan’s debut album – “In 8 Movements”- is an uncompromising study of all that is foreboding about drone music; a relentless auditory creation of shadows, nightmares and doom.

In what has become somewhat of a trend within portions of experimental music, key to the output of this artist is his relative anonymity. As we’ve seen with Burial in the past and more recently with Hummingbird, having little information to go by in many ways allows the music to take centre stage, while the artist builds a rapport of being a mysterious creator lurking behind the sounds.

Originally a cassette, limited CD and 7” Reel release, this extended vinyl only version comes courtesy of Experimedia. With two additional tracks, the album runs at approximately 45 mins and is best experienced in a single sitting as one really senses being fully encompassed by the noise and taken in by the unnerving atmosphere that this record possesses.

Despite this, as the album’s name suggests, the record comprises of eight tracks each around 2 minutes apiece. The album opens with a spiralling sound of humming strings, floated guitar plucks, and a fuzz of drones. This hypnotic quality works well at suturing the listener into the album’s moody universe. There is a sense of a setting void of gravity and while choral cries evoke some sense of light, this opening really feels like a journey into a fantastical world of darkness.

Indeed, when the chorus dies, it is the work of echoed strings, gloomy glitches and echoes that strips away any sense of hope. Rather like a Lynchian world where things viewed closer are a lot darker than on the surface, the further the listener delves into this journey, the more nightmarish it becomes.

At certain points one can hear the muffled noises of a broken orchestra recalling the dystopian qualities of videogames like ‘Fallout’ and ‘Bioshock.’ These motifs of a forgotten, brighter existence are placed to offer the listener a sense of a what was before, and their sudden eradication from the musical journey only strengthen the artist’s attempts at creating an apocalyptic setting for his listeners to become immersed in.

A striking debut that is meticulous in its attention to sound creation, Black Swan’s ‘In 8 Movements’ should appeal to all with a penchant for the darker side of ambient music. One hopes that this artist, who prefers to remain unknown, saves only his physical identity for secrecy and that his musical output has much more presence in the months and years that follow.

- Review by Josh Atkin for Fluid Radio

Available through Experimedia

www.experimedia.net
www.blackswan.byethost18.com