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LP
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MIA 050LP
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Master craftsman James Welburn's new LP, Sleeper in the Void, marks the 50th Miasmah release. The six years after his monumental debut have bred six tracks, Welburn brings to fruition with the help of past co-conspirators from the Norwegian underground scene -- Tomas Järmyr (Motorpsycho, Zu, Barchan), Hilde Marie Holsen (Hubro Records), and vocal artist Juliana Venter (W/V, Phil Winter). On Sleeper in the Void, Welburn expands the domain of his sound, unveiling surprises until the very end of the album's 36-minute playtime. While the character of the record is unmistakably his own, the tracks veer into many different territories, including a banging foray to the dancefloor. The LP begins slowly with "Raze", where Järmyr's ritualistic cymbals introduce layers of Welburn's signature sculpted bass drones and noise, building into a heart-wrenching epic of a track. This is perhaps the closest we ever get to Hold (MIA 031CD/LP, 2015), Welburn's previous album. Falling from Time immediately surprises with its subdued mechanical techno beat, stark and cold as a glacier. Welburn's texture-work is the star of the show, creating curious nooks and crannies of drone adorned with eerie melodies straight out of oblivion. This sense of wonder shines through to the album's title track as well, where Welburn and Järmyr build another patient, echoing, and deeply cinematic piece, the drum patterns slowly shifting around a metallic hum that evokes the vision of church bells, ringing out under tons of seawater. Sleeper in the Void feels like a story in two parts, rising lethargically, but with gargantuan power. The second begins with the momentous "In And Out Of Blue", where Juliana Venter's disembodied, spectral dirge takes center stage among the furious drums and bassy riffs, reaching a full crescendo with seconds to go. Parallel marks a release -- Hilde Marie Holsen's nostalgic soundscapes, pristine as glass, meeting the distant thunder of Welburn's strings on the horizon. And finally, "Fast Moon" ends the record in a most surprising way -- a tribal industrialized banger, complete with vile distorted beats and every other spice in demand on a blackened dancefloor. Welburn's Sleeper in the Void is a generous shapeshifter. Every inch of its soundwave breathes emotion and imagery -- an invitation to take a dive and linger. Includes download code; edition of 300.
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CD
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MIA 031CD
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Like watching a massive twisting fire slowly fading into the open skies, accompanied by a drum section so repetitive yet mind-bending that you're unsure if it's ever going to stop. This is how Hold starts off, leaving you catching for your breath before the album has even reached the second track. James Welburn steps into the ashes covered in drones and noise together with drumming partner Tony Buck (The Necks), producing a crushingly epic debut album. Hailing from the UK, but located in both Berlin, Germany, and Lillehammer, Norway, Welburn has followed the path to catch the perfect drone, playing an abundance of underground drone and noise sets in Berlin and Norway. This can be heard on Hold, though set in an impressively produced setting closer to a 2010's-era Swans record than the raw noise of those early live shows. It's hard to label the album too much in one style, as it shifts and turns into parts inspired by everything from shoegaze to black metal, all set in a state of endless repetition. CD limited to 350 copies.
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LP
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MIA 031LP
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LP version. Includes download code. Limited to 500 copies. Like watching a massive twisting fire slowly fading into the open skies, accompanied by a drum section so repetitive yet mind-bending that you're unsure if it's ever going to stop. This is how Hold starts off, leaving you catching for your breath before the album has even reached the second track. James Welburn steps into the ashes covered in drones and noise together with drumming partner Tony Buck (The Necks), producing a crushingly epic debut album. Hailing from the UK, but located in both Berlin, Germany, and Lillehammer, Norway, Welburn has followed the path to catch the perfect drone, playing an abundance of underground drone and noise sets in Berlin and Norway. This can be heard on Hold, though set in an impressively produced setting closer to a 2010's-era Swans record than the raw noise of those early live shows. It's hard to label the album too much in one style, as it shifts and turns into parts inspired by everything from shoegaze to black metal, all set in a state of endless repetition.
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