Release Info:
Artist : Apocryphos
Album : The Prisoners Cinema
Genre : Ambient
Label : Cyclic Law Records
Catnum : 73rd Cycle
Source : CDDA
URL : http://www.discogs.com/Apocryphos-The-Prisoners-Cinema/release/64078
Mode Info:
Tracks : 8
Time : 01:01:23
Size : 111.85 MB
Encode : LAME 32bits version 3.98.4 (http://www.mp3dev.org/) -V0
Quality : 243kbps 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracklist:
1. Eigengrau 9:06
2. To Dark Cells 8:16
3. Subinterior Figures 5:36
4. Phosphene 6:48
5. Neolithic Hypnagogia 11:09
6. The Furthest Sanctuary 6:35
7. Vestige 7:32
8. The Language Of Isolation 6:21
61:23 (min)
One of the most harrowing experiences imaginable, I think, is being trapped in
captivityùcaught in isolation, every moment filled with fear and uncertainty,
days bleeding into each other until all sense of time is lost. I wonder what
happens to the mind in such situations. Does it implode? Expand? Perhaps a bit
of both? ItÆs impossible to say; you never know how you might be affected until
it happens.
Robert C. Kozletsky would like to share his interpretations with you. If the
name sounds familiar, he was half of the short-lived but lauded dark ambient
project Psychomanteum, but now records solo under the name Ap≤cr²phos. His
debut release is The Prisoners Cinema, a collection of eight sonic portraits
that aim to make captivity an auditory experience; itÆs a mindÆs-eye view into
what the titular prisoner witnesses, both visually and psychologically; within
the confines of captivity as well as beyond it. ItÆs an intriguing theme, and
as you might expect, makes for a dark ambient listen thatÆs oppressive and
isolationist. And yet, the mind is still free. Kozletsky reminds you of this by
never allowing his vision to be swallowed by the dark; set carefully amidst the
melancholia are warm analog tones that keep the atmosphere from descending too
far into gloom and despair.
IÆm drawn to conceptual albums like this one, and Kozletsky understands how to
draw thick layers from his machines and arrange them with precision. At its
core, The Prisoners Cinema is typical for the genre, with huge and weighty
chords, looped noise, and a melange of sampled incidentals, but itÆs done in an
engaging and satisfying manner. ôEigengrau,ö named for the gray haze created by
the human eye in total darkness, uses a slow-motion chord sequence thatÆs
immediately reminiscent of Psychomanteum, but Kozletsky has increased the
grimness and added scattered noise that imparts tan-enhanced personality; the
whistles, bleats, and buzzes bring to mind a noisome shadow-choked swamp. Like
much of the album, there are spaces here, but theyÆre close-set and
claustrophobicàat least at the outset.
ThereÆs a narrative quality present as well. Our fated captive may be in
transit during ôTo Dark Cells,ö and when arriving, might glimpse shadowy
ôSubinterior Figuresö in the niches and hollows of his new home. During a state
of ôNeolithic Hypnagogia,ö as sleep begins to settle, the captive may try to
find spiritual solace in ôThe Furthest Sanctuary.ö The feel of the album shifts
slightly at this point, edging away from the despair of the early tracks to the
dreamlike flows that were conjured so well by Psychomanteum on the
out-of-body-themed album Oneironaut, and itÆs a welcome change. ThereÆs an
ephemeral undercurrent here, anchoring the tone; the prisoner knows that his
release is only imaginary, no matter how much he might want to believe
otherwise, but his mind still travels beyond the limits of his prison.
In many ways, The Prisoners Cinema is Psychomanteum 2.0, from its focus on
gradual chords to its astral edges. However, it has gained several shades of
blackness now, as well as a tapestry of well-executed details, but the level of
proficiency and sense of progress are still present. I found myself hoping for
a bit more separation and variety as the album moved along, but perhaps
Kozletsky is giving us a transitional taste of what is to come for Ap≤cr²phos.
The Prisoners Cinemaùwhich features foreboding and suggestive cover artùis a
solid and satisfying dark ambient release with an adventurous concept that
provides a collaborative framework for the listener to fill in. Somewhere
between symphonic ambiance and measured noise, The Prisoners Cinema offers a
vision of bleakness and hope that hides within the mind of a captive who has
not yet succumbed.