Genre: Experimental / Ambient

01 Tripartite Collision (11:52)
02 Feb'23rd (32:19)

With this release, London's "State Sanctioned Records" (Label of Rob Hart from Noise-mongers Eaten By Children) releases its second album. The first being Eaten By Children's very own "Sword Swallower's Grave". Like its predecessor, this album is also limited to just 200 copies, this one being copy 68/200.

Bill has written both of these tracks for local exhibitions in his native Aberdeen, and according to the label page, he produces "prepared guitar, digital cd mixers, laptop, radio, and digital/analogue synthesizers, as well as found objects and DIY circuit-bent devices.". "Tripartite Collision", in its beautiful Cellulite cover, complete with etch-a-sketch scribbling, claims to be an Intense but Delicate journey, and if it's anything like the SSR release before it, it probably shouldn't be played in public. Ever.

It does in fact open with some intricate but impressing Power Electronics, the first few minutes of Tripartite Collision, are Pulsating loops of Electronic Bass, pretty low in the mix, as my speakers are on loud, and this is about half the volume it should be. I expect to find myself peeling myself off the wall any minute now. Actually a nice hypnotic track, and the Stoners amongst you will have a field day. The track goes into that bizare "Ambient Noise" territory, towards the end, and fuck the critics, It's excellent. The way it is done, the way the pulses and vibrations change and compliment each other, before turning into an Ambient nightmare is just incredible. On paper, this kind of sound is plain and dreary, but the underlying textures here just rewrite the way I view it. A track I will no doubt listen to again, and again.

At shortly over half an hour in length, "Feb'23rd" is dangerously close to becoming a laughing number, I never advise Ambient artists to exceed this point, unless the offering is very rich and original in sound. This track is more Vibrant, louder, more confident. Nothing happens as frantically, or as quickly, but the slow build ups leave the listener enough independence and space to reflect in their own time. Go downstairs. Make a Coffee. Come back, induce a trance-like state. This album won't hurt you. It will endear, comfort, and protect you as you slip into a lucid moment. If you want to simply listen to it, you can find yourself painting a portrait with many colours, the sound could be one of a million things, from an Icy morning trying to banish the Sun, to a Construction Site underground, boring into your skull.

It is with much pride and happiness, that after listening to this album, I have gone from expecting an interesting and chaotic mixture of Noise, to actually hearing and bookmarking this track as one of the best new artists of 2006. Not just that, but based on the strength of this, I urge every single reader of HH to visit the State Sanctioned website. This won't ever go down as an album to inspire artists, but for the second release of a brand new, independant, and obscure label, this will lift the veil right off the head, and quite possibly propel SSR into a much bigger, much more extreme world. They sure as hell deserve it. As does Bill Thompson.

The best thing to come out of Scotland since William Wallace? Or even Border Biscuits? You Decide. I know my answer.