-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: ISON
ALBUM...: Inner - Space
GENRE...: Electronic
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Ethereal, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Drone, Ambient, Darkwave
YEAR....: 2019
LABEL...: Avantgarde Music
LANGUAGE: English
COUNTRY.: Sweden
PLACE...: Gothenburg
ENCODER.: LAME 3.100 -V0
BITRATE.: 244 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 8
SIZE....: 107.27 MB
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/ison444?fref=ts
- TRACKLIST
1 Inner - Space 8:35
2 Radiance (Featuring Neige) 10:05
3 Equals 9:28
4 ISAE 7:07
5 Shipwrecks 3:20
6 The Fifth World 8:21
7 Everything's About To Change Forever 7:37
8 A Golden Force (Bonus Track) 6:36
Total Playtime: 61:09
Track 2 "Radiance" features Neige from Alcest
*
ISON was formed in 2015 on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Sweden.
ISON is a result of the two music like-minded souls of Daniel -nghede
(Crippled Black Phoenix, Hearts of Black Science) and Heike Langhans
(Draconian, LOR3L3I).
Inspired by Drone, Goth & Shoegaze, combined with a deep fascination for the
astral planes and the universe their music is best known as Cosmic Drone.
Combining punishing guitars and eerie vocals with lush, ambient soundscapes.
The music is crafted deep within the halls of an abandoned underground
powerplant station also known as Cavesounds. With no cellphone reception or
windows to tell if it's day or night, the location is a perfect host for
writing atmospheric music in total isolation to the outside world.
*
- The Cosmic Metal of ISON's Inner - Space Opens a Portal to Contemplating
the Universe -
- The Swedish duo evoke the universe's vastness with a spell-binding blend of
metal, shoegaze, goth, ambient, and electronica. -
Compared to their previous albums' artwork, the soft pastels on the cover of
ISON's Inner-Space might seem a bit misleading at first. But make no mistake:
the cosmic metal duo's debut full-length is still as space-minded as those
other releases, as Daniel -nghede and Heike Langhans evoke the universe's
vastness with a spell-binding blend of metal, shoegaze, goth, ambient, and
electronica.
You won't hear any blast beats or demonic grunts and howls in these eight
songs-the closest they come to any of that are the distant screams of
Alcest's Neige on "Radiance" but there's nothing about Inner-Space that isn't
as heavy as a neutron star, or as dense and inescapable as a black hole's
singularity. (Forgive me; I'll try to keep the astronomical metaphors to a
minimum from here on out.)
Inner-Space isn't vicarious or gimmicky listening for thrill-seekers, as you
might assume given my earlier "cosmic metal" tag. Rather, ISON composes slow,
majestic, grandiose-and, dare I say, romantic-music for contemplating the
cosmic voids and spheres, and considering that most of the album's songs pass
the seven-minute mark, the Swedish duo gives you plenty of time for such
mind-expanding activity.
Here's what I imagine to be the ideal listening environment for Inner-Space:
a dark field in the middle of nowhere, the album turned up loud on
headphones, and you lying on your back in the grass to watch the Milky Way
and countless other galaxies spiral overhead (no chemicals required or
necessary). The title track even finds Langhans imploring listeners to "look
up at the sky and tell me you don't feel a thing/I won't believe you'd take
this all for granted," her sad, angelic voice surrounded by slow-burning
guitars and towering drums.
And to be honest, that's also how I like to imagine -nghede and Langhans
composed these songs, the duo writing them after long periods of star-gazing
and contemplating their minuscule existence in the grand scheme of things.
But for all of its ponderous and weighty lyrics and sonics, ISON's music
isn't just about feeling nihilistic and cast adrift in the cosmos. As I wrote
in my review of 2015's excellent Cosmic Drone EP, "it is beneficial to have
our perspectives re-adjusted and broadened. ISON just happens to do so with
some gloomily beautiful, evocative music that conveys both the sublime beauty
of the spheres as well as the crushing alienness of the interstellar
expanse."
Indeed, the glorious climax of "Equals," the celestial melancholy of
"Radiance," "ISAE" 's gently unfolding atmospherics... all of these-and the
rest of Inner-Space's songs, for that matter-are invitations to contemplate
the grand, extravagant universe surrounding us, with ISON's expansive music
being the portal. Other bands want to make you dance, wax nostalgic, fall in
love, or rise in protest. ISON avoids such mundane motives. They want you to
feel nothing less than a sense of awe, which is precisely what they
accomplish with Inner-Space.
*
- If you want to drift away among the stars, deep into the eerie beauty of
the cosmos, you've come to the right place. -
ISON are a young Swedish group comprised of Daniel -nghede (Crippled Black
Phoenix, Hearts of Black Science) and Heike Langhans (Draconian, LOR3L3I)
that specializes in very spacey sounds. After previously releasing two EPs,
they are now back with their first full-length album. INNER - SPACE further
cements the band's trademark blend and takes it a little further. For the
lack of better words, I'd say that stylistically we're dealing with something
between doomgaze and ambient music, woven on top of a post-rock foundation
with electronic shreds scattered throughout.
INNER - SPACE spans just a minute over an hour, and my only complaint about
it is that it's not longer. This will become more obvious as I delve into the
actual music. Each of the eight songs that are present on the album contours
a part of the enthralling and soothing aural painting that is INNER - SPACE.
I'd like to start off by pointing out that the timbres of the utilized sounds
could not be any more rich and appropriate, which is truly rewarding since
technically, the record explores the deep nuances of these sounds and how
they interact with each other.
The record starts out on an expansive tone, immediately tapping into the the
far-out depth of the mood that pervades it throughout. "Inner - Space"
successfully immerses us into this setting, which we may not escape even well
after the album has ended. This impossible to define mood walks the border
between losing oneself to the immensity of existence and coursing through the
infinitely riveting microcosm of one's own innards; the latter is only
reinforced by the suggestive title of the album. "Radiance" continues to
develop this full-bodied sensation, radiating with a subdued intensity akin
to witnessing an explosion from so far away that no sound or shockwave is
felt. The song also features a guest appearance from Alcest's very own Neige.
Heike Langhans's charming and almost ghostly angelic voice adds an alluring
and dreamy atmosphere to the mix. Her voice also drives the melodic end of
the textural developments with an ethereal grace. Whenever she is silent, the
synths come to the foreground to animate whatever space is left untouched -
whenever it starts feeling like there is some weight missing from the song or
that things may be meandering, a muffled riff comes along to add that
necessary density. That muffled riff, which recurs in various forms, is also
the only thing that basically lends any metal or rock edge to the whole
affair.
As we near the end of this journey, we hear how things are being
progressively more drenched in reverb and delay, further emphasizing the
tranquil vibe. We also hear how the electronic beats are swapped with real
drums. This is quite noticeable on "Everything's About To Change Forever",
along with the more overt post-rock leaning in its delivery and structure.
The album ends on a somewhat dream pop/synthwave-ish tone, leaving the
listener to slowly ooze back into the dense material reality around them.
INNER - SPACE is an elegant, well-crafted trip that perfectly suits an
introspective listener. It revels in its rather amorphous form, encompassing
things that transcend words. ISON are doing the astral music thing right, and
I'm sure that many will agree upon experiencing this album. As a fan of such
things, I have rarely come across such compelling renditions of emotional and
immaterial states. If you will, INNER - SPACE soothes the inner space as it
takes one to outer space.
*
I'm a real sucker for cosmic themes in music; from the netherworld of
Hawkwind to the tenebrous outer reaches of Obscura, it always adds an extra
level of strong ambience and has so much scope and areas of interest that it
can, much like the universe, carry on forever.
ISON is the ambient/drone/shoegaze brainchild of Heike Langhans of Draconian
fame and Daniel -nghede from the criminally underrated Crippled Black
Phoenix. Inner - Space (stream/purchase here) is their first full-length,
having released two acclaimed EPs over the past few years, and it is an
hour-long trek through the spiritual cosmos via the pumping of the human
heart.
The music is mostly gentle, droning, ethereal waves of sound accentuated by
synths throughout the record that evolve into real-world instrumentation by
the end of the journey - a coming back to earth or returning to the body if
you will. One of the biggest highlights is a guest appearance by Neige of
Alcest and Lantl(s fame on "Radiant," a man that has almost single-handedly
spearheaded the post-black metal/shoegaze (or "blackgaze") movement over the
past decade. His detached trademark screams linger in the distance, ominous
and otherworldly, setting a perfect counterbalance to Heike's elegant vocal
melodies. And speaking of Heike, she has taken her seductive vocals from
Draconian and let loose with everything in her range to create truly lush and
tender euphony in ISON, adding to the bold sonic tapestry.
All the sounds resonate and travel in complete harmony and there is a feeling
of inner calm when the album ends, the hour-long playtime neither too long
nor causing the listener to lose interest. On the contrary, the further in
you listen, the more engrossed you become in the soft grandiosity that ISON
has created. To quote the title track: "Wake up... find your way back to the
source... if you wake up falling through the universe" - this is heady,
introspective, beautiful music, the kind that you treasure in the quiet
moments.
The title of the album says it all - this is a dreamy microcosmic voyage
through the inner self, a searching inward to see the stars and savour the
soul. ISON has easily produced the celestial ambient album of 2019 with Inner
- Space, an astral journey that begs to be grasped and experienced. Do not
miss out.
*
The cosmic drone duo ISON, consisting of Heike Langhans, who you might know
of Draconian, and Daniel -nghede, who you might know of Crippled Black
Phoenix, formed in 2015. In that same year they released their debut EP
Cosmic Drone, which was followed by an EP called Andromeda Skyline three
years later. On September the 20th this duo released their full-length debut.
This full-length debut is called Inner - Space and it's my first experience
with ISON's music.
What an experience it is! Right from the first moments of the opening
title-track ISON immediately pulls you into this album with its droning,
ambienty atmosphere that works very hypnotizing. They do this in such a
fantastic way that this album is getting you in its grip and doesn't let you
go until the last notes of closing track A Golden Force have faded out, a bit
over one hour later. While there isn't very much variation on Inner - Space
and this album's pace is quite slow, ISON still succeeds in this. Of course
the hypnotizing effect of their music is strengthening this. There is a bit
of variation to be found on Inner - Space though, but that's minimal. A few
examples of this variation are some moments when a bit of electronical
influences are added, such as in ISAE, the drums sounding a bit more
electronical compared to other moments, such as in that same ISAE, as well as
in Equals and Radiance. In addition to that higher guitars as well as
heavier-tuned guitars can be heard, just as some vocal variation is added.
What's standing out the most when talking about the vocals are those done by
Heike. Her vocals are sounding very beautiful and fitting with the music. She
puts a lot of emotion into her vocals, as can be heard in for example
Radiance, Shipwrecks and Everything's About To Change Forever. The first
track of those that I just mentioned, Radiance, of course is also special
vocal-wise for another reason, because on that track Alcest's mastermind
Neige is contributing in a very nice way with his guest vocals.
Atmospherically and sound-wise Inner - Space is already getting close to
Alcest's Autre Temps and due to Neige's contribution to Radiance, that track
could have very well fitted on Autre Temps. On top of that we can also hear
some very intense screams on Radiance.
ISON's Inner - Space is a very special, awesome album that's best experienced
by undergoing it yourself. This is an album to completely lose yourself in,
to bring your thoughts to enchanting emptiness. All tracks on Inner - Space
are gems, piece by piece that add to this journey making this album far from
boring. With Inner - Space ISON created an album that's fascinating from
start to finish, a very well-done achievement looking at the length of this
album and their musical style. ISON's Inner - Space is a very strong album
and it surely is potential year list material.
*
Music is about feelings. Music is about experiences. Personal experiences. In
the past, in the present and even about everything we expect and hope for in
the future. Music is a state of mind, state of the heart. Music is a pain in
the heart, pain in the soul.
And it is no wonder that I'm going to present you the new ISON album as one
whole musical journey, an experience for the heart and the soul. Music
evoking bittersweet memories, tunes that hit you in the guts, make your heart
beats quicker. It's not because of a furious tempo of the record. "Inner
Space" is the intimate album, touching the darkest corners of the lonely and
empty soul. It gives needless hope for the tired heart, for a few more beats,
before it crushes it into the painful nothingness of the existence.
ISON was formed in 2015 around Gothenburg, Sweden, and the "two music-like
minded souls" in the band - Daniel Anghdede (Crippled Black Phoenix, Hearts
of Black Science) and Heike Langhans (Draconian, LOR3L3I), are well known to
all who follow the scene. Both influenced by "the vast, infinite nothing",
they describe their music as a Cosmic Drone.
"Inner Space" is the first full-length album of the band and this one hour of
music represents the beauty and the magic of the music, as they should be.
"Inspired by Drone, Black Metal, Goth & Shoegaze, combined with a deep
fascination for the astral planes and the universe", "Inner Space" draws
pictures, visions, memories, creates dreams. It is a sad album, though. It
has details and nuances even from the dream dance genre, including the
gorgeous vocals of Heike. (ATB is a good reference for example). Indeed the
eerie vocals contrast to the ripping through guitars. However, that's on the
first glimpse. The combinations create a massive impact for the whole
experience, building upon the total ambient atmosphere. "Inner Space" is an
escape and a gateway to something more personal, bigger, essential. Something
beyond our inner space - cosmic and ETERNAL tunes.
There is nothing to hope for at the end of the day while listening to Inner
Space. It is dark and quiet there, despite all the emotions the album can
spark. The eight tracks are a mirror where you can look deep into your soul
in order to find all the innumerable missed opportunities and long-gone
cravings. It is a contemplation into a black infinite and in the same time
self-observance. The blackgaze and shoegaze dominate in the music soundscapes
while making the soul small, useless, needless. ALONE, burning on the pyre
called life, called existence - something so transient, and always bringing
so many questions. We love gazing into the stars of the night sky - it is
always magical for us. But we feel the eternal grief. ...And it is so
tragical for us contemplating this beauty. We, the small pieces of nothing,
leaving only nothing after we disappear.
And yes, "Inner Space" features guest vocals by Neige of ALCEST.
Music is about feelings. Music is about experiences. Personal experiences. In
the past, in the present and even about everything we expect and hope for in
the future. Music is a state of mind, state of the heart. Music is a pain in
the inner space. Music is eternal.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
*** Props to CaHeSo, awesome Asian Indie/Shoegaze ***
*** And to FANG/HOUND for supporting all the Indie lovers out there ***
--===--
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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