Portraits For American Firing Squads – The Eternal Fear

Feelings, inconsistencies and shortcomings of fear tussle to find higher plane – as if dying to relive what was lost. Small talk gets restructured as grand overdraft – not owing a deposit to outside influence, but a debt to itself. Yet fraternally gifted, Austyn Sullivan. But before Portraits For American Firing Squads, the 20 year old’s stage name, there was born a fort of small run tape releases, CD-R quietetude against mass distribution, with producers thinking up all manner of eccentric monikers for themselves. So, if we’re at gunpoint, and this is final shooting for a rediscovered archetype of anarchism through solitude, what’s to say the results aren’t the same as another furnished drone in shorthand? The answer, dear Brutus, is not in the beholder’s eye, it’s in the minors ears forgot…

Imagine you’re in a driving test. Like “Our Attempts To Exist”, we start out slowly, quite prettily nodding to the instructor. Richard D James, with U-Cover’s Quosp cleaning the ashtray in the back. Then the smoky rhythm kicks in – we’re going up a gear. Austyn liberates hopes prior junction, the screen fills with fast recollections of Ambient and musique concrete, swirling in and out the windscreen wipers. “Our Attempts…” for harmony soars airborne with penumbra drone fog, hitting “As The Blameless Targets” in ten-pin sequential strike. It’s hectically slow, a paradox within, meanwhile lusty – Bengalfuel of Maryland. Everything must go forward when listening: your confidence, your ambience comfort, copping a limber curve.

Before one’s too deep, “For Undiplomatic Firing Squads” ricochets out a drum arrangement akin to Mick Harris’ Scorn project, scored with pulsing semi-metronomes.The atmosphere is dense, but spacious, and there’s a quintessential feeling of robustness unwavering through intense heat. This certain strength, a decisive plus point in the LPs’ staying power – it doesn’t formulate anxiety, and sucks you in. Elaborate synthesis is a solid feature, adding to the richness of production, which is very well done. Like a tough steak, though, there’s also a pretence of impenetrability about Portraits’ five track footprint.

It requires the right frame of mind, and I have found that to be, in contrast to Austyn’s “late night / pre-dawn listening” thoughts, when movement’s involved. For “In The name Of”‘s drums almost lift you to your feet – not apart from that, raise spirit too. “Our Nations’ Oppressive And Unconscious Flag” possible ode to dismembering masks from where he lives, what he thinks, how he acts. Whatever the function of the title, however, this is very fine work that will appeal to Ambient and Electronica heads far and wide. From Orbital to aforementioned Aphex, to LA Vampires and Zola Jesus on the goth-pomp circuit, Portraits For American Firing Squads could use a simple motto: “Bite the bullet, try me out”. You might well grow to love it like I did.

- Mick Buckingham for Fluid Radio

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