Genre: Noise
Track Listing:
01 Rolling Thunder
02 ...and the boy became a man
03 on my fathers shoulders
04 Hollow on the Inside
05 Dark Heart
06 Point the finger of blame
07 Blue Blood
08 The 8th Level
Since my new review package arrived and I saw that I was reviewing a Ghoul Detail release I've been trying to remember how long it's been since I first heard GD. It must be getting close to five years now. Right from the first listen I was a fan. The Soundscape Gardener is a sonic genius. As creative as he is prolific, which is really saying something if you know the length of his back catalogue.
So it was with eager anticipation that I cracked open this new CDR. To be honest, as much as I'm a GD fan I have to admit this is the first new GD material I've heard in a while. It's interesting to hear him develop as an artist. It sounds like the years of constant creation have given The Soundscape Gardener the experience to create epic tracks which keep the listener engaged while not bombarding them with too much stimulus. The resulting collection of tracks are a wonderful journey through gardens filled with blooming audio of many differing scents (to murder the Soundscape Gardener metaphor). From the skillful mixing of expansive ambience and mid-paced breakbeat rhythm of Rolling Thunder to the bitter melancholy of Hollow on the Inside and the almost tribal beat of Dark Heart (which it's driving me mad that I can't place the opening sample on), Poles Apart has amazing range. Taken as a whole this CDR could be the soundtrack to some dystopian, near-future, psycho movie.
Personally my favourite track on this CDR is Point the finger of blame. It's higher frequency “melody” and scratchy static has actually been catchy enough to stick in my head (only the second GD track that's managed to do that). The sample on the track, which I'm guessing is from some talk show, poses theme of the piece, the nature of personal responsibility, without spoonfeeding answers. Point the finger of blame only just nudges out the haunting, almost X-Files in feel, The 8th Level as my favourite track.
As astute readers may have guessed, I like this release. Ghoul Detail is an artist who, despite getting favourable coverage in Bizarre magazine some time ago, still doesn't get the recognition he deserves in my opinion. Fans of dark ambient, experimental, and noise genres would be well advised to pick up any GD release. Poles Apart would definitely be a good entry point for those a little daunted by the size of his back catalogue.
