My end of year listening comprised primarily of two discs by Italian sonic sorcerers Tele. S. Therion, listening to them had me considering the end of the world (but that comes next year). Tele. S Therion do not have much information available about them although it looks like the project is comprised of SG (Sandro Gronchi) and P.Riparbelli/K11.
These black on black CDR's are very much designed for the conceptualist and those wishing to experiment. ‘The Chapel’ is divided into seven scores listed as ‘Black Painting I-VII’. It is described as ‘acousmatic black metal’ and is designed to be ‘performed simultaneously.’ In essence, around lots of words such as ‘polyphony spatialisation’ the artists are suggesting you duplicate the album and play two or more tracks at the same time on different players. This is not a new idea and I have heard the works of people like composer Edgard Varese as well as those experimenting with ‘sound organisation’ in industrial circles before. If you want more insight into this check the Wiki article linked below this. On the other hand if you like me and most people, may not have the means to listen to this in such a fashion it’s all a moot point. You may also adopt the stance of a friend working at a recording studio who does have the means to try this out and shake your head in exasperation and disbelief muttering the words pretentious claptrap at the very idea.
I have however certainly enjoyed listening to this very moody disc as a stand alone, as it goes through moments of ambient clanking to horrendous and intense sonic feedback with alien like cries perpetuating the ghostly otherworld textures of the music. This is a soundtrack from an abyss where demons dwell; it is the sort of music that Cenobytes and things from Lovecraftian mythos no doubt would listen to as they relax after a hard day collecting souls. It is also great stuff to pick up a meaty horror book and read with it in the background. Sometimes there is little going on, at others you are mesmerised, always you are intrigued even if it is in an uncomfortable fashion. The ‘black metal’ tag is illusory really, this is much more in line with music evolving from Krautrock through to the likes of SPK, Throbbing Gristle, Nurse With Wound, MZ412, power electronics and the works of artists found via labels like Cold Meat Industry. Perhaps the tolling sound and the at times droning bombast may cross over into the likes of Sunn O))) territory and the beard stroking mindset of Southern Lord etched bands but there is nothing hipster about this sound at all. Perhaps it is best not to try and define it too much but just listen, I am sure this would be a very interesting trip on certain substances but even without them it musically takes you to a different dimension, maybe one you don’t really want to find yourself pitched up on though.
This ‘Chapel’ is deconsecrated as far as I am concerned. The place is as black as the name suggests, the altar is smeared in faecal matter and the host has been corrupted with aids infested blood.
After such blasphemy what on earth are they going to do with nature? Well some of you may have realised that this album shares name with the debut release by Current 93 which originally came out in 1984 and is Tele S Therion’s reinterpretation of it. I have only heard segments of this online and can hear that they have kept things in the same mindset as the original even if they have simply divided the score into parts rather than named tracks such as ‘Ach Golgotha (Maldoror Is Dead).’ I really want to properly hear the original after this, as it was put together by an incredibly versatile collective of people. Obviously David Tibet was on board but also I see Annie Anxiety, Youth, Peter Stapelton and John Balance were all involved.
Musically this is a bit like an inverted version of Stravinsky opus ‘The Rite Of Spring’ Nature here sounds like it is revolting against all known principles and mutating into horrible contorted creations. I am heavily also reminded of the Rebirth’ segment Karim Hussein’s classic 1999 movie ‘Subconscious Cruelty’ if this is not the sound of the earth literally being raped, I don’t know quite what is. There are big mechanical screeching grinding sounds prolific through the 63 minute disc that you keep finding yourself brought back to. I am again reminded of a film ‘Once Upon A Time In The West’ and the sound the creaking boards make as the opening scene endlessly builds. It is pretty much endless here too and perpetuates the noise around it. There are again huge cavernous tolling sounds, low slung chants like unholy priests bowing at the abyss to another world and all sorts of elongated and amplified sonic sounds.
There are lots of words that one could use to describe this, it is again incredibly chilling and unsettling, it is also hypnotic and meditative and at times downright scary, the sound of a black mass. You would not want to do anything as stupid as to put it on as a soundtrack to a ouiji board session, that is for sure, who knows what you would summon up to this necromantic dark rite? As this builds into a harsh crescendo it sets all your nerves on edge and the abrasive tones hit sharp edges that tumble out my speakers and no doubt upset anyone in the vicinity, luckily they are too loud for me to hear anyone hammering on my walls.
If this sounds like a musical nightmare to you, then avoid at all costs. If however you are looking for something that will take you on a trip to barren alien plateaus and through gateways to other dimensions these discs are great to explore. I have spent somewhere in the region of ten hours collectively trawling their depths and these will be listened to again over time rather than being cast aside to gather dust. I like music that is challenging and Tele S Therion are that and then some, all hail their darkened masses.
http://www.myspace.com/telestherion
http://www.radicalmatters.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acousmatic_music
