Released
1997
Label
Drone Records
Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund
Contact
Stefan Knappe
Drone Records
Gneisenaustrasse 56
28201 Bremen
Germany
Delphium
c/o Aquese Recordings
13 Warren Close
Sandhurst, Berkshire,
GU47 9EL
England, U.K.
Last Edit/Update
24 March, 1999
Delphium
SNOWHILL - X 7"EP
(first edition: 250 copies)
Track Listing
Side A
1. Unforgiven
2. Snowhill - X
Side B
1. Stringsong 1
2. Lie To Me
Delphium's entry in Drone Records' ongoing series of
7"EPs features a total of four shorter compositions that lean toward a more
structured and melodic sound, than the majority of the releases in the series. The tracks
are all very atmospheric, and taken together they almost come across as the musical
outline for a film soundtrack.
Side A opens with the looped
rumblings as of a distant thunderstorm, establishing a reflective and perturbed
atmosphere. Over this foundation, the sound of a rudimentary string theme wanders in and
out, while contorted samples establish something like a rhythm in the middle-distance. The
dreamy, melancholy mood evoked by "Unforgiven" conjures up images of beauty as
seen through glossy eyes. "Snowhill - X," which follows, is a more abstract
piece, and although it too features a frail thematic presence, the visuals that this music
prompts are closer to an industrial wasteland, than to the celestial cloudscapes of
"Unforgiven."
"Stringsong 1," on the
other hand, is again dominated by strong melodic progressions -- this time of almost
classical proportions. Short spurts of what appears to be a snare drum, and a wealth of
treated guitar ruminations, creep in and out of the piece, but the main focus remains the
thematic presence. "Lie To Me" closes the record on a foreboding note --
crashing samples, electronically altered snippets of voices, and sustained humming
presence combine to describe a short walk through nightmare land.
Snowhill - X manages to
traverse more moods and musical modes in the space of four brief tracks, than many a
full-length CD. Like so many of Drone Records' releases, this 7" is
a testament to the power of the single's compressed format. It is presented in a plain
white sleeve, with the centers of both sides having been adorned with small cutouts of
what appears to be wallpaper. The vinyl of this release is transparent, and it is limited
to 250 copies.
