Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, soudscape.

Background/Info: This album is a conceptual release featuring Anemone Tube (Germany), Jarl (Sweden) and Monocube (Ukrainian). The concept is based upon a series of paintings by Pieter Bruegel. In 1565 he painted a series of paintings dedicated to the months of the year. He broke the cycle of the year into six stages in six paintings, two months per painting, one of these paintings have been lost, five remain. The remaining paintings inspired the artists to compose five tracks names after the original name of the paintings.

Content: The work features two collaborative efforts between Anemone Tube and Jarl, one between Anemone Tube and Monocube, one featuring the three artists and another solo-cut by Anemone Tube. The compositions are mixing dark-ambient and soundscape passages featuring deep, blasting sounds, space-like bleeps, overwhelming sound waves and multiple little crispy noises and other rarities.

+ + + : Those artists have transposed the original painting of Brueghel into a nightmarish experience. The tracks are pretty visual, which is accentuated by the impressive sound treatments, which are mainly coming through in “The Gloomy Day” and “The Harvesters”. This is an intelligent and great artistic concept. I also have to say a word about the cool digipak featuring pictures from the original painting plus a booklet with a lot of information.

– – – : I can’t say there’s one bad song featured, but just a few passages –like during the final cut, which are maybe a bit too long in duration.

Conclusion: This is an interesting and really successful collaboration between three artists transposing the world of the great Pieter Bruegel into a horror vision.

Best songs: “The Gloomy Day”, “The Harvesters”, The Hay Harvest”.

Rate: (8).

Artists: www.anemonetube.de / www.facebook.com/anemonetube / www.facebook.com/Jarl.main / www.facebook.com/monocube.official 

Label: www.the–epicurean–transformed.de / www.facebook.com/epicureanescapism

About Anemone Tube, Jarl and Monocube

Anemone Tube was founded in 1996 in southern Germany and has been based in Berlin since 2010. Between 2007 and 2021 the project worked on the “Suicide Series” tetralogy, consisting of “Dream Landscape”, “Death Over China”, “Golden Temple” and “Time Ends”, before going inactive in 2021. Earlier own releases include “The Three Worlds: Vanity Of Allegory” and “In The Vortex Of Dionysian Reality”, both on The Epicurean.

Jarl is a Swedish dark-ambient and noise project with a long-running discography on Zoharum, continuing afterward with albums such as “Hyperacusis”. Monocube, the Ukrainian act in this collaboration, previously released “The Rituals” and “Substratum” on Malignant Records and Cyclic Law.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient.

Background/Info: Ukrainian artist Andrzej Gladuszewski is releasing his work under the Monocube moniker. His new album has been released in collaboration with American label Malignant Records (which also released his previous work “The Rituals”) and Canadian label Cyclic Law.

Content: “Substratum” moves on where “The Rituals” left off. The compositions became darker and more elaborate. Monstrous, humming sound treatments and low, vibrating sound waves lead the listener into the ultimate state of terror. The tracks have been meticulously built up, moving crescendo to some freaky climaxes. Antti Litmanen (Arktau Eos) and Frederic Arbour (Visions + Cyclic Law owner) contributed each to one track.

+ + + : There’s a serious evolution in sound and global production work. I was seriously impressed by the overwhelming, monstrous sound treatments resulting from the analogue gear used to accomplish this work. “Opaque” is one of these tracks, which according to me comes close to perfection. Another track I have to mention is “Prima Materia”. It doesn’t only sound as the highest degree of terror-music, but it features brilliant sound treatments featuring icy crashes and vibrating sequences. The sound also has a real strong visual appeal. The artwork is a bonus to this production.

– – – : Next to exceptional cuts like “Opaque” and “Prima Materia” some of the other tracks left don’t bring a similar magic, which doesn’t mean that they’re unaccomplished.

Conclusion: If you like great dark-ambient music, “Substratum” is an album you have to discover. I’m not surprised it has been released as a collaboration between two leading labels in the genre.

Best songs: “Opaque”, “Prima Materia”, “Luft”, “Sehnsucht”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/monocube.official

Labels: www.malingnantrecords.com / www.facebook.com/malignantrecords / www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw

About Monocube

Monocube is the Ukrainian dark-ambient project of Andrzej Gladuszewski. Side-Line reviewed his debut album, “The Rituals”, in 2017, also released through Malignant Records. “Substratum”, reviewed here, moves on from that debut with contributions from Antti Litmanen of Arktau Eos and Frederic Arbour of Visions, who also owns Cyclic Law. Monocube later joined Anemone Tube and Jarl for the collaborative album “The Hunters In The Snow” on The Epicurean in 2019.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, ritual.

Background/Info: Ukrainian artist  Andrzew Gladushevskiy joined hands together with Malignant Records to unleash the second official album of Monocube. The work features 9 cuts and reveals a few interesting features from Apocryphos, Treha Sektori and Asmorod.

Content: The dark atmosphere hanging over this work rapidly conjures images of isolation and other horror atmospheres. Typical obscure sound treatments, icy sweeps, ghost-like growls and I presume field recordings are the main ingredients of this poignant work.

The work progressively moves towards more overwhelming cuts resulting in two noticeable final cuts featuring first Treha Sektori and next Asmorod.

+ + + : Good ambient music always has this magic visual appeal and it’s not that different here. But “The Rituals” also reveals great sound treatments, which remains dark and sometimes moves into ritual passages. From the monotonous, but ghost-like sounds towards heavier sonic treatments accentuated by some drones to finally end in a pure cinematographic approach this album has a lot to offer. It’s an elaborated opus with a great finale and especially the tracks together with Treha Sektori and Asmorod.

– – – : I like the progression in the tracklist although some cuts from the debut are missing the real evil spirit from the final part. I expected a bit more out of the collaboration with Aprocryphos.

Conclusion: Monocube sounds like the architect of an imaginary obscure area, which quickly becomes a sonic temple of evil forces.

Best songs: “Father Fenris”, “Anthracite Glow feat. Treha Sektori”, “Drowned Sun”, “Initiation feat. Asmorod”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/monocube.official

Label: www.malingnantrecords.com / www.facebook.com/malignantrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com