Not Breathing -- The Starry Wisdom (Double CD)

Released
1998

Reviewed by
Kim Alexander
and
Michael C. Lund

Label

Visit

Last Edit/Update
06 March, 2000

Not Breathing

The Starry Wisdom
(Double Disc)

Track Listing

Disc A
Nuclear

1. Sacred Relapse
2. Quixl
3. Digenetic Dub
3. Voudoun Electrique
4. Neptune Rotor Probe
5. Chunky Monkey
6. Sexy German Chick Theme
7. The Floater
8. Celliphas
9. Magneto Maximus

Disc B
Abyss

1. One Winged Dove
2. Bowels Of Cthulhu
3. The Sog March
4. Heliopause
5. Mushroom Dub
6. Lost Carcosa
7. 3breatheOaether3
8. Scorpion Dream
9. Wet Creosote

"This Cd: The Starry Wisdom, is an overall excellent release. This is a "joint" collaboration review... While Disk A: Nuclear, of which I am going to review here is the more techno-percussion-noise oriented side to this double set, Disk B, Abyss, takes on a more ambient role of Not Breathing's talent, and is reviewed by Michael C. Lund." -- Kim Alexander

Not Breathing is:
Dave Wright -- all tracks: electronic and acoustic muzak wind surfing.
Bruce Brindamour -- (b3, b4, b6, b8): didgeridoo and live scorpians.
Ron Chmara -- (b4, b6, b8): electric soma keys
Young Miss Mark Spybey -- (a3, b7): doctoring and textures.
John Sharp -- (a5, b1): the cube and grits.
Carl White -- (a1): raunchy acid and tron beats.
Brandon Theis -- (a1): halogen hihats.
DJ Jack Acid -- (a6): sour acid, nitro and bleats.
Adam yoffe -- (b9): el nino channeling pro favor.
Tahoe Foster (b1): dumpster diving audio theif.
The Late Amy Andrews: (a10): the channeling of hank williams.
Michelle Pandow (a2): pink rugmuncher diva vocals.
Drew Fitzgerald (void): scorsby scotch.

Disk A
NUCLEAR

          This disk is 74 minutes of psychedelic techno- percussion and IDM -- Intelligent Dance Music. Drum and bass are prevalent throughout the tracks which are laden with synthetic layers and injected at various points with techno and tribal beat. A good number of the first tracks are pretty fast paced for my taste, but excellent nonetheless.
         My favourite track on this disk is a 16 minute piece titled "Chunky Monkey", which is a bit slower than the first five tracks but not by much. It is layered with different synth sounds, a rather "jungle" type of beat that just goes on and on and on -- but not in the least bit boring as the sound changes from time to time, and escalates in intensity, and richness of the dumming and synth textures. "Chunky Monkey" also seems to be rather "trance-like" not in the sense of speed or BPM's but more in the sense of having a hypnotic influence on the listener. It's is also a very good dance track. Mix the dance with the sound and rumble on for a good physical workout!
          The next track which very good is "Sexy German Chick Theme". This opens up with a couple people talking about "evil forces, secret air forces in South America and other covert actions...." and carries a slightly more serious edge to the music. It reminds me of some Orb I have heard in the past. SGCT ends with a female saying something about "The destruction of America...".
          "The Floater" is a superbly orchestrated sonic affair with speed, winding cosmic treatments in spiraling synths, and comes full circle to its final resting place amongst oceanic wave sound rushing onto shore, and s brief cry of sea gulls in the distance. "Celliphas" is another track that sounds rather Orbish to me, and makes me wonder if the good Dr. Alex Patterson had some type of influence on Not Breathing in their past?
The final track "Magneto Maximus" is a gentle electronic almost dreamlike "wavey-synth" piece with the "Late Amy Andrews channeling Hank Williams", which is a nice way to end such an intense amount of fast paced techno-edge onslaught of electronic aural scenery that just zipped by so fast you have to hit reply to catch it over and over and over again.

Disk B
ABYSS

          The second disc of this momentous release by Not Breathing is one long journey into a twilight world of sound. Unlike disc A, which featured elaborate constructions based in rhythm and percussion, the second disc focuses on pure sound and ambiance. Most of the pieces are bridged by fluid transitions, and the moods conjured up by Not Breathing are generally dark and nightmarish, as song titles like "One Winged Dove," "Bowels of Cthulu" and "Scorpion Dream" bear witness to.

          Abyss opens with a brief aural depiction of mutual distress. A carpet of disconcerting noises carry the voices of two successive women talking about the domestic hells of their lives. From the frighteningly real of "One Winged Dove," the CD plunges into the terrifyingly fantastic with "Bowels of Cthulhu" -- a title immediately awakening associations of H.P. Lovecraft's twisted literary universe. With numerous dripping sounds, cavernous rumblings and gyrating distortions, this track plays like a descent into the lair of some grotesque man-eating monster.
          "The Sog March" features a snarly, grunting loop as the foundation, over which are gradually added layer after layer of sonic texture. The piece does have a coursing, march-like quality, with the forward stumbling grumble disappearing over some distant hilltop at the end, while foreboding atmospheres linger in the air behind, leading into "Heliopause." Chimy tinklings and grinding interference fade in and out of the sound picture of this track, which, true to its title, incorporates an oscillating effect as of sharp blades cutting through thin air. The noises as of objects crashing to the bottom of deep elevator shafts, and other stray signals from the void fill the gap between "Heliopause" and "Mushroom Dub." The images evoked by "Mushroom Dub" are less ominous than those on the CD so far, but lacks nothing in the way of color and detail. A subdued pulse propels the piece, with many psychedelic effects slowly fading into the drift of the piece. The track is perhaps best described as a sonic depiction of the interval between ingesting psilocybin mushrooms, and the onset of their euphoric effects.
          Out of the debris of "Mushroom Dub" begins "Lost Carcosa." One of the longest tracks on the CD, it is also the most peaceful. A long introduction of subtle harmonics opens the piece, eventually giving way to liquid sounds and the bleeps of sonic lightning bugs. "Lost Carcosa" develops little over the course of its 12 minutes, instead it hovers on the spot like an object of solid sound. "3breath0aether3" stands in stark contrast to "Lost Carcosa," as the only track on Abyss with strong rhythmic elements. The piece is the most dynamic on the CD, with a pronounced bass line and numerous wheezing and singeing sounds weaving in and out of the complex patterns of percussion.
          On "Scorpion Dream," Not Breathing returns to the land of nightmares. This 15 minute long surreal sound painting contains a wealth of unique details, and constantly evolves. The soughing sound as of a sleeping person's rhythmic inhales and exhales run like a motif through the entire piece. The fluttering sound of a group of pigeons alighting, and the sound of someone incessantly scraping away at the cement between two bricks are some of the more vivid images conjured up by this startling piece of aural cinema. "Scorpion Dream" finally ends, and dissolves into "Wet Creosote," with the soothing sound of rain. "Wet Creosote" is the shower itself -- five minutes of the lovely sound of water descending upon the earth, to wash away all the wicked dreams brought to life of Abyss.

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