Belgian artist Orphan S.C. Wallace returns with a new release from his sonic alter-ego, The Orphanage Committee. This latest opus is a collaboration with EE Tapes, who are once again behind the release. The album features six extended tracks that spotlight the familiar genres of the project. While the music has a Soundtrack-appeal, it remains somewhat Abstract and highly Experimental. The pervasive organ sounds create a unique atmosphere that feels both sacred and mysterious. Occasionally, experimental guitar elements emerge, blending seamlessly with the repetitive loops. This project continues to impress me, evoking the sense of an imaginary Soundtrack. It’s music best suited for immersive listening experiences. (Rate:7½).

Listen to “Continuity XI – Where The Second Meets The Call”:

About The Orphanage Committee

The Orphanage Committee is the experimental project of Belgian artist Orphan S.C. Wallace, who treats the committee as an abstract entity whose different faces surface across the styles he explores. The project works closely with the Belgian label EE Tapes, which released “Continuities Vol. I” in 2022, “The Seven Sacraments” in 2023, and “Sol In Solus” in 2023.

“Continuities Vol. II – In The Context Of A Room”, released on May 1, 2024 as a limited CD and digital album with mastering and design by Jan Van den Broeke, continues that series and is the release reviewed here.

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: Experimental, Abstract, Ambient.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This is new work by Orphan S.C. Wallace aka The Orphanage Committee. “Sol In Solus” is a conceptual work about nature and self-reflection.

Content: The album features 2 extended tracks but each track reveals 5 different parts. You’ll easily notice the diversity but it however sounds pretty compact. The work is moving from mysterious atmospheres featuring icy bleeps reminding me of the sphere of the legendary “The Exorcist” tune to Abstract music mixed with field recordings to organ noises (reminding the previous work of the artist) to more evasive, Cinematic, impressions.

+ + + : It’s hard and nearly impossible to label The Orphanage Committee but that’s not necessary. This artist composes his music without compromises but seems to be guided by his deepest, internal, flow. It resulted in a versatile work whereon each listener will find passages they are going to enjoy. I personally prefer the first cut and more specifically the debut part of this track for its mysterious, freaky, atmosphere.

– – – : This album is not what I would call a bite-sized chunk; it needs a few listening while it will appeal for a rather restricted number of listeners… which remains the trademark of EE Tapes.

Conclusion: I can’t affirm this is the best work I’ve heard from The Orphanage Committee although there are some real cool passages featured.

Best songs: “Program A”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088677280058

Label: www.eetapes.be / www.facebook.com/eriek.vanhavere

About The Orphanage Committee

The Orphanage Committee is the experimental project of Belgian artist Orphan S.C. Wallace, who treats the committee as an abstract entity whose different faces surface across the styles he explores. The project works closely with the Belgian label EE Tapes, which released “Continuities Vol. I” in 2022 and “The Seven Sacraments” in 2023.

“Sol In Solus”, released 1 October 2023 through EE Tapes, is a limited 180-gram vinyl LP pressed to 200 copies alongside a digital edition, and is the release reviewed here.

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: Experimental, Abstract.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Orphan S.C. Wallace strikes back with a new work. This project has been very prolific in a very short lapse of time. The title indicates what it is all about; a conceptual work wherein the seven sacraments have been interpreted into two cuts.

Content: We get two extended cuts which are quite diversified in their global form. Multiple influences are emerging revealing slow rhythms, dark, psychedelic sound treatments, obscure atmospheres and even a kind of surprising, sweet, dark, Lounge final part. On top you’ll hear fragments of speeches which are into the concept of the work.

+ + + : It’s an accessible work in the Abstract/Experimental genre. The diversity of both cuts -which sound like featuring different parts, reveal cool passages. I prefer the second cut for its deep, buzzing, and vintage sound treatments while the ending part with slow rhythms and this kind of Dark-Lounge style is really great.

– – – : You really have to be patient and listen carefully to notice the true essence of the work. It however isn’t the most accessible music genre.

Conclusion: Religion remains a great inspiration to music artists and this interpretation of the seven sacraments is an original one.

Best songs: “Interpretation II”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088677280058

Label: www.eetapes.be / www.facebook.com/eriek.vanhavere

About The Orphanage Committee

The Orphanage Committee is a Belgian solo project run by Orphan S.C. Wallace, based in Sint-Niklaas and released through the Belgian label EE Tapes. The project debuted in January 2022 with “Continuities Vol. I,” issued as a tribute marking the 35th anniversary of EE Tapes, followed in December 2022 by the debut LP “A Significant Change,” which mixed sequencers and drum machines with sampled voices and chants into dark, industrial-leaning beats.

“The Seven Sacraments,” reviewed here, followed two months later in February 2023, built around two extended tracks that interpret the seven Catholic sacraments through slow rhythms, psychedelic sound treatments and spoken-word fragments.

Wallace closed out the year with “Sol in Solus” in October 2023, a ten-part concept album about nature and self-reflection, continuing the project’s pattern of releasing markedly different-sounding work in short succession.

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: Experimental, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This work by the Belgian solo-project The Orphanage Committee was released by the end of 2022. It features ten songs composed by Orphan S.C. Wallace.

Content: This work is mixing Experimental sound treatments with Minimal-Electro. Parts of the work remind me of the early 80s Electro-experiments of Throbbing Gristle and SPK. Sound collages, field recordings and spoken samplings are inviting the listener to visit the very own sound universe by this artist.

+ + + : This work is quite different to other albums I heard from the artist and which were all released in a short lapse of time. I like the Electro minimalism of this opus which reminds me of the ‘anti-music’ approach of the aforementioned Experimental pioneers. Especially the first side of the vinyl reveals a few outstanding cuts like “Factory Solicitant” and “Agnostic Ballad”. The second side takes off with another great piece of minimalism entitled “The Good Things We Do”.

– – – : The least I can say is that The Orphanage Committee is a little bit versatile; every single work sounds different and there’re even different influences featured at one album.

Conclusion: This is a cool album which I’m sure will appeal for addicts of the early 80s Electronics and -Experimental music.

Best songs: “The Good Things We Do”, “Factory Solicitant”, “Agnostic Ballad”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088677280058

Label: www.eetapes.be / www.facebook.com/eriek.vanhavere

About The Orphanage Committee

The Orphanage Committee is a Belgian solo project run by Orphan S.C. Wallace, based in Sint-Niklaas and released through the Belgian label EE Tapes. The project debuted in January 2022 with “Continuities Vol. I,” issued as a tribute marking the 35th anniversary of EE Tapes.

“A Significant Change,” reviewed here, followed in December 2022 as Wallace’s debut LP, mixing sequencers and drum machines with sampled voices and chants into dark, industrial-leaning beats. Two months later, in February 2023, the project released the album “The Seven Sacraments,” built around two extended tracks interpreting the seven Catholic sacraments through slow rhythms and psychedelic sound treatments.

Wallace closed out the year with “Sol in Solus” in October 2023, a ten-part concept album about nature and self-reflection, continuing the project’s pattern of releasing markedly different-sounding work in short succession.

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: Experimental, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The Orphanage Committee is a new project driven by Belgian artist Orphan S.C. Wallace. The artist created this album as an homage to the 35^th anniversary of EE Tapes.

Content: The work features 5 extended pieces revealing a kind of dark Soundscape approach. Monotonous sound waves are evolving to a crescendo. The tracks feature an impressive canvas of field recordings while passages are featuring blasting sound treatments. There’s also a sort of metallic percussion reminding me of the early years of Industrial/Experimental music when artists where using recycled material.

+ + + : This album is bringing the spirit of early Industrialists to life. There’s a strong 80s touch which has been masterly mixed with dark electronic atmospheres and buzzing sound waves. The atmosphere has something hostile reaching an apotheosis on the second cut. It also sounds a bit Ritual-like. There’s also something to say about both last tracks leading this opus to an ominous end.

– – – : I now and then would like to hear a bit more diversity in the songwriting. The sound formula quickly becomes predictable.

Conclusion: This debut album by The Orphanage Committee is a perfect ambassador to the great Experimental taste of this Belgian underground label.

Best songs: “Continuity II”, “Continuity V”, “Continuity IV”.

Rate: 8.

Listen to “Continuities Vol. I”:

Label: www.eetapes.be / www.facebook.com/eriek.vanhavere

About The Orphanage Committee

The Orphanage Committee is the experimental project of Belgian artist Orphan S.C. Wallace, who treats the committee as an abstract entity whose different faces surface across the styles he explores. All sound and visual work is credited to Wallace. The project works closely with the Belgian label EE Tapes, based in Sint-Niklaas.

“Continuities Vol. I” was released on 6 January 2022 as a limited CD in a jewel case and as a digital album, and holds five tracks running from “Continuity I” to “Continuity V”. EE Tapes states the record was created as an homage to the label’s 35 years of activity.

Further EE Tapes albums followed: “The Seven Sacraments” in 2023, “Sol In Solus” in 2024, and “Continuities Vol.II In The Context Of A Room”, which continues the series started here.

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