music review :: niellerade fallibilisthorstar :: skrankwerk
released on dystoniaek
sweden's NFH are a bit of an anomaly. they have, by their own admission, virtually no familiarity with the type of music they've chosen to make, no in-depth knowledge of its history or sub-genres. instead, they're music is purely intuitive, largely improvised, relying on the gifts of particular surroundings for its considerable atmosphere.
skrankwerk is the latest opus from the five member ensemble, who have managed to develop a sort of cult following. the sound, if you've heard their releases before, is a natural evolution from previous releases. the pieces reflect a decaying modernity, using sounds processed from various found objects and locales, resulting in a sound-scape that is both identifiably organic and undeniably alien.
the album ranges from an almost unbelievable starkness to a beautifully thick cacophony of percussive rattles and crashes to eerie, atonal washes. it's difficult at once to describe the sound in a way that will be meaningful without falling back on clichés that don't do the sound justice.
as you might glean, from what I've said, the album will be a challenging one for many. it neatly ignores any established genre boundaries and will prove frustrating for anyone who is used to music that works within defined parameters. that said, it's also exciting, exotic and rewarding in a way that few new artists are.
a particular favourite for me is "spjallmotor", which sounds like a recording of objects being disposed in and consumed by an incinerator.
beautiful and highly appropriate artwork completes an excellent package. available direct from the label.