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Aperus — Lost Tribe of the Shadow
(Bandcamp Geophonic GEOCD07, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-10-31

Lost Tribe of the Shadow Cover art

The best ambient music reaches deep inside, exposing the darkness and shadows of a textural world that exists within the fabric of the imagination. It is neither melodic or pretty, nor strictly an electronic construct, although melodic elements or fragments thereof can easily exist within it, that shouldn’t be the driving force that defines it; synthesizers tend to make the whole creation process too easy, and the result too smooth and creamy (for lack of a better descriptor), while the best sounds are the most unfamiliar and mysterious, leaving the casual listener wondering how it was made. Brian McWilliams, a.k.a. Aperus, is one such artist who has mastered that craft, with Dirk Serries (VidnaObmana) being another that immediately comes to mind, as well as the late Oöphoi and his countrymen Alio Die and Aglaia. With Lost Tribe of the Shadow, the composer envisions humanity broadcasting from a parallel version of Earth, attempting to find a higher potential and reach anyone who is willing to listen. The message one sees when first opening the sixteen panel folded CD cover is, “The elders are gone now / A dark age cannot enlighten a dark age,” and as always, the CD packaging features an abundance of McWilliams’ most interesting monochrome photographs and design that enhances the listening experience. This time out McWilliams (who is credited with a variety of synths, shortwave radio, field recordings, percussion, effects, and loops) is joined by a number of guests on this track or that on additional synths, field recordings, flute, percussion, guitar, and ebow, including Frore (Paul Caspar), Jason Goodyear, Ivan Block, and Karla K. McWilliams. The album opens with the title track, a piece that is driven forward by an unusual percussive loop, with a mysterious carpet of sonic elements wrapped around it. Next up is the longest of the album’s ten pieces at over thirteen minutes, “A Dark Age” creeps in slowly amid groaning swells of dark textures that can’t easily be explained, though at several points part way through one can detect some voices via short wave radio amid a rolling background that inhales and exhales as it proceeds. The odd and fragmented rhythm loop on “A Debt to Our Ancestors” is accompanied by whistling sounds that fill the background as well as chattering percussives (a heavily processed rainstick, maybe). With “Graffiti Ghosts,” a repeating loop of electronic textures is driven forward by processed tribal drums. There’s plenty more here of interest that defies easy description, so one’s best bet is to check it out for yourself at the link below.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Frore (Paul Casper), Aperus

More info
http://aperus.bandcamp.com/album/lost-tribe-of-the-shadow

 

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