Projekt Records Beneath The Icy Floe

Released
1995

Label
Projekt

Reviewed by
Michael C.Lund

Visit

Last Edit/Update
30 January, 1998

Various Artists

BENEATH THE ICY FLOE
(VOL. 3)

Track Listing

1. Love Spirals Downwards
Avincenna
2. Lycia
The Return of Nothing
3. Lovesliescrushing
Babysbreath
4. Eden
The Darkness In Me
5. Human Drama
Sad I Cry
6. Bleak
Cold, Black Room
7. Black Tape For A Blue Girl
The Flow of Our Spirit
8. Soul Whirling Somewhere
Unhittable
9. Ordo Equitum Solis
Message to Pan
10. Sam Rosenthal/Vidna Obmana
Terrace of Memories
11. Love Spirals Downwards
This Endris Night
12. Thanatos
Moon of Dying Grass
13. Lycia
The Facade Fades
14. Black Tape For A Blue Girl
Scream, My Shallow
15. Alio Die
Global Construction

          The Chicago-based 'Darkwave' label Projekt has released a number of excellent compilations, of which Beneath The Icy Floe (Vol. 3) is one. The twelve bands/artists featured on this release effectively demonstrate that the output of Projekt goes far beyond mere 90s 'goth' or 'death rock.' Not only do these bands to a very high degree explore the possibilities of 'beauty' in sound, they also predominantly exhibit a level of spiritual striving not usually associated with 'goth/death rock' or modern music in general. This CD displays a diversity in style and sound that spans from songs of medieval mystique and ambient soundscapes, to melodies of ethereal beauty and anthems of the darkly melancholy.
          Most characteristic of the label are perhaps Love Spirals Downwards, Black Tape For A Blue Girl and Soul Whirling Somewhere -- the former two represented with two songs each, and the latter with just one. The tracks by Love Spirals Downwards are very melodic, with celestial female vocals supported by crisp acoustic guitars, subtle percussion, and symphonic background atmospheres. Black Tape For A Blue Girl likewise relies on classical elements with string arrangements strongly present in their songs, which tend towards the more melancholy. Their songs alternately center around angelic female vocals (reminiscent of Love Spirals Downwards) and highly dramatic male vocals of a poetic/cerebral nature. The acoustic instrumentation of Soul Whirling Somewhere is comparatively minimalist with male vocals of high lyrical quality. Also along classical lines -- albeit, of a more medieval orientation featuring mystical female voices -- is Ordo Equitum Solis, the title of whose song "Message to Pan" -- in addition to their Latin name -- identify the mythical inspirations of their music.
          Human Drama and Thanatos -- although quite different from each other -- both rely on arrangements closer to folk music than classical. "Sad I Cry" by Human Drama at once manages to be both perturbed and playfully whimsical in sound. The instrumentation consists of piano and strings, supporting prominent male vocals of intimate flavor. The vocals of Thanatos are more melancholy and introspective, and are underscored by a mellow acoustic guitar theme.
          The Australian band Eden delivers a very strong piece on the compilation -- "The Darkness in Me." Eden's musical influences are closer to modern music; the strong male vocals are accompanied by a conventional rock 'n roll ensemble of drums, guitar and bass, but with a crashing synth theme carrying along the piece while adding a dark melodic atmosphere. Lycia is represented with a studio and a live track. The studio recorded song "The Return of Nothing" features deep male vocals, acoustic arrangements, and a strong electric guitar theme that builds throughout the piece. "The Facade Fades" features an epic live sound dominated by heavy, treated guitars and dark icy vocals. Also present on the compilation is Bleak -- a side-project of Lycia. The intense grating guitars and dense percussion, along with the coarse, rasping vocals make the origins of this band fairly obvious, although Bleak stands for a colder and more stripped sound than Lycia.
          Of an entirely different musical avenue is "Babysbreath" by Lovesliescrushing. The closest musical association of this band's unique sound would be 'shoegazer'. However, Lovesliescrushing treat and manipulate their guitars beyond all recognition, creating a grandiose, buzzing atmosphere of feed-back and distortion that emerges as miraculously melodious, lifting on its streamlike surface the fragile beauty of a woman's voice.
          Most radically divergent are the exceedingly beautiful ambient pieces "Terrace of Memories" by Sam Rosenthal and Vidna Obmana, and the extended closing soundscape of the compilation -- "Global Construction" by Alio Die. While Alio Die almost exclusively utilizes the sounds of nature in their compositions, Rosenthal and Obmana's piece is generated by the use of a variety of acoustic instruments, some of them of exotic origin.
          The high quality and versatility displayed on Beneath The Icy Floe is indicative of Projekt's entire catalogue of releases, which includes -- in addition to the artists featured on this release -- such names as Steve Roach, Attrition and Controlled Bleeding.

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