Isis + Aereogramme
In the Fishtank 14
Konkurrent
The oceanic waves of bass and lunar pull of heavy reverb on guitar lines isn’t what one would expect from the borderline metal/hardcore outfits Isis and Aereogramme when they collaborate, but it works out nicely. For the fourteenth installment in the Dutch label Konkurrent’s In the Fishtank series, the groups’ three new compositions are achingly beautiful and for the most part surprisingly delicate. “Low Tide” kicks things off appropriately, rumbling languidly and building up momentum for staccato guitar notes to break insistently on its surface; it’s ebb and flow actualized. For fans of Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai, this is familiar territory but welcome nonetheless. “Delial” is more of a return to form, with hard-edged riffs and a multi-tracked chorus round of garbled, sinister voices which coalesce into a scream and intertwine with the chaotic guitar leads. Surprisingly, the disparity between the aggressiveness of this track and the ambivalent movement of the other two tracks isn’t that shocking. The closer, “Stolen,” wafts in gently, effectively erasing the nightmarish moments that preceded it. Bleary-eyed and echoing, the subtle complimentary droning notes from guitars and electronics settle in nicely behind the vocals. The track has the same early morning confusion/happiness/warmth that comes from waking in unfamiliar surroundings in summer. It could fit in beautifully on the Lost in Translation soundtrack and solidifies number 14 as one of the best in the Fishtank series.
Konkurrent: http://www.konkurrent.nl
