Ah Cama-Sotz – The Empire Of Time (Digital Album – Bats & Cats)
Last year, Herman Klapholz released two new albums from his flagship project Ah Cama-Sotz. “Blood Moon” had already been released earlier in the year, and to close it out, he presented “The Empire Of Time”. The album explores time as a kind of golden thread between East and West — between wisdom on one side and matter on the other.
This is where Ah Cama-Sotz finds its inspiration, shaping these ideas into six immersive tracks. The album opens with the ticking of a watch, accompanied by resonant, Ethereal Eastern voices. Gradually, the slow — and at times subtly sensual — Tribal rhythm of the project unfolds. The female voices sound almost like lamentations, giving the music a Ritualistic atmosphere. Occasionally, a faint Dub influence surfaces, yet the overall effect remains firmly rooted in hypnotic rhythms and the magic of its Eastern ambiance. At times, the Tribal elements slightly recall Muslimgauze, but Ah Cama-Sotz sounds more subtle, Ethereal, and contemporary.
Herman Klapholz never truly repeats himself and continues to draw from an apparently endless well of creativity. In my opinion, this is a subdued yet beautiful and intense album. (Rating:8).
Listen to “Myastar”:
About Ah Cama-Sotz
Ah Cama-Sotz is the project of Belgian musician Herman Klapholz. The music moves across dark ambient, tribal rhythms, rhythmic industrial, dub, and techno, released over the years on labels including Hands. Klapholz outlined that experimental approach in an earlier Side-Line interview. In 2025 he issued two albums, “Blood Moon” earlier in the year and “The Empire Of Time” to close it – a six-track set built around the theme of time, released on the Bats & Cats label.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
