Genre: Experimental Industrial / Experimental Neoclassical / Breakbeat

A. Silently the Wolves are Watching
B. Porcile

It has been a long year and a half since we last heard from Autopsia in the early winter months of 2006. The last person to receive the unique experience of hearing and enjoying the wonderful and strange music that Autopsia creates was our long-departed friend Silverhand with "The Berlin Requiem" which was released on the esteemed Old Europa Cafe. This time around, we find ourselves with a two-sided 7" vinyl EP released on the band's own independent label, Illuminating Technologies. With just over 9 minutes of music total, this EP doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of length to enjoy, but what it leaves us with is a powerful punch that honestly would sound much better on the digital medium than the vinyl, unless you can afford such luxuries as a high-priced record player today.

Silently the Wolves are Watching comes packaged in what one could consider a rather typical, though hand-numbered to 500 copies, 7" sleeve, and includes a rather powerful image of Christ donning a wolf head as an album cover. Take from this what you wish, but the band offers this bit on the back cover: "We share the same enemies & our means of triumphant escape are also the same: a delirious & obsessive play, powered by the spectral brilliance of the wolves & their children". Again, another vague and cryptic message from the band who takes their art on both an aural and visual basis to an entirely different level than most other artists can even hope to perceive. Filled with all the relentless brutality that experimental industrial has come to be known for, yet somehow still possessing the sophistication and remnants of the gentle nature of neoclassical. An odd hybrid indeed, but once you hear what they have to offer you will understand.

One may find that the easiest way of understanding this hybrid in sound would come from comparisons in themselves. The title track, Silently the Wolves are Watching is a well-composed and thoughtfully structured track, featuring many noise effects combined with numerous classical acoustic instruments. What may seem like randomness to some clearly is not when consideration is taken on the lining up of melodic elements as well as specific rhythmic tones in the bass fequencies towards the middle of the track. Eventually even a jazz-oriented drum loop kicks in to fill in the empty percussive space behind everything and adds an entirely new level to the music. When all is said and done, the music could easily be compared to what some may remember from Raymond Watts' brainchild "Pig" in the beginning of his track "My Sanctuary." The sub-tones on this track, however, make the vinyl listening experience not nearly as fruitful as the digital medium would. Thick bass sound is needed to get the most out of this one.

Side B, however, takes us into new territories though. Porcile opens innocently enough with what sounds like an Italian sample (with which I have no clue what is said) over top of minimal disharmonic piano chords. When the sample drops out though is when the really unique hybrid kicks in: Breakbeats combined with classical instrumentation, including piano rolls and dark ambient-esque background appeal. The delayed atmospheric pipe organ, almost spherical sound combined with minimal break beats earlier on would remind some Trip Hop / Prikosnovenie-label fans of Misstrip's debut last year "Syblline", but as the breakbeats progress into heavier lines between short breaks of ambience, that resemblance fades and Autopsia really comes out as their own sound.

Whatever your reason for being interested in this release, what you will be shown is a unique classical experience mixed with an interesting and challenging focus towards out of the ordinary composition. Autopsia have left no note unedited in this programming masterpiece. This one will be any industrial producer's wet dream.

Sage Weatherford

Last.Fm

ILLUMINATING TECHNOLOGIES