Description
Label Review.
2020 album
Our Overview.
After a 9-year pause, Bill Gould (Faith No More), experimental artists Jared Blum and Dominic Cramp (Gigante Sound) release the follow-up to their 2011 debut album ‘Talking Book’. While ‘II’ shares the DNA of the original, its diversity is driven further: concrete - ambient drone collage forms are offset with traditional instruments and song arrangements. In other words, this is an album of further extremes in all directions.
Genre is experimental but only in the broadest sense of the word - “visual” would be more apt. Once described as “yoga meditation for masochists,” this will appeal to fans of Eno’s early ambient projects and Bowie collaborations, 60s Czech soundtracks, early 80s industrial, English prog and dusty electro acoustic tape pieces. Talking Book II’ is a total listening experience. meant to be digested as two complete pieces, preferably in headphones. All tracks are meant to flow, one into the other, without gaps. Vinyl release contains an entire piece per side.
“We had originally thought this would be an easy follow-up to our debut album from 2011,” said Gould. “But in fact, this was a journey that took years. It was a wild ride, but in my opinion was totally worth the effort, it enabled us to really dig deep, and get this the way we wanted it. I feel like we have created a soundtrack to a film that can only be seen through listening.”
Tracklisting: Blood Aurora / Thermal Drift / The Land Upright / A Crumbling Mind Smiles / Zastava / Early Sorrows / The Last Time She Died / They Came At Dawn / A Sea Turned To Stone / Heritor / Lost In Glass / The War Was Better / The Dying Light / Absent Horizon