Genre: Experimental / Avant-garde / Noise

'' For several days Al Babaloo had locked himself away in his studio The Den of Iniquity, the only indication as to his continued existence being the herb-laced wisps of incense wafting down from the studio hatch - the fumes of creativity perhaps?...As he emerged, red-eyed and twitching like a luminous cod he was heard to mutter, "sonic narcotics, dude!" before handing us another HomeGrown project - ni aga de nots - an aural trip through uncharted sonic landscapes.''

The above is taken directly from the aural-initiative websites description of this, their first release, and although a little vague, is fairly descriptive. I'll try now to shed further light on what to expect here.

A release consisting of what appear to be nine variations on one theme could potentially fall flat on its face. Ni Aga De Nots avoids this by being so damn unusual, indeed, a friend summed up the whole experience by stating that 'This is so weird it just can't go wrong'. Surreal, innovative and defying pigeonholing, Ni Aga De Nots is that unusual beast that almost defies accurate description.

Track 01, starting with the sound of footsteps on a wet gravel path accompanied by the sound of crows appears to be heading into Dark Ambient territory. This, it soon transpires is not the case, experimental is the buzzword here. Snippets of vocals are pulled into new and interesting shapes, sped up, slowed down and swung around our heads, constantly changing shape and direction whilst chattering like a room full of demented monkeys before sliding seamlessly into track 02 where further mangling and texturising takes place.

From a subliminal bass, overlaid with crackles of distortion track 05 grows it a brooding something. Heavily chopped and filtered vocals come out to join in the fun, becoming the driving force, the bass sliding away and hiding, barely felt, in the background. Further vocals join in, some clattering from side to side mechanically, others complementing the main vocal loop at the very edge of perception, and deep in the mix, yes, yet more vocals, adding depth and coherence to the overall sound.

So far this is unlike anything I've heard before. Is this a good thing? Well, I'm still here and I'm still listening, so yes, it is. This is an album that has dispensed with the conventional, and I want to see where it is going to go, how it is planning to get there and what it will do while on it's travels. I'm beginning to wish I had prepared myself for this listening experience by taking the hint presented in the album title. This really is music that would make for an interesting ride whilst under the influence. (Or so I've been told by people that 'know' *ahem*).

Getting back to the job in hand, the remainder of this release continues in the same vein, more abstract vocal tweakery, often stretching the source sounds to insane degrees, sometimes stripping the sound back to almost silent passages, always intersting and definitely worth sticking with. Finally, at the fade out of track 09 we are once again back to the sounds of footsteps on gravel and the grating calls of crows, giving the overall impression of a journey completed. A strange journey admittedly, but one I'm glad saw through to the end.

I'd recommend this to anybody with a taste for the abstract, anybody interested in the possibilities of sonic experimentation and all who listen to the Warp label releases. Abstract, unusual and different, three words that go only part way to doing this justice. For further hints on what to expect a visit to the website reveals a whole host of clips and samples that reveal more of The Aural Initiative's grand plan.

Not for everybody, but those who dare will not be disappointed.