Faust

Durtro 060CD, 2000, Running time: 36:00

Faust - 36:00

Carrying on Tibet’s rather unique tradition of providing scores to speculative literature, this release comprises a printed story by the decadent 19th century writer Count Eric Stenbock and an accompanying soundtrack by Current 93.

As with the band’s previous literary projects (In a Foreign Town, In a Foreign Land and I Have a Special Plan For This World), the music is mostly of the ambient or chaotic sort, certainly edging towards the description “experimental.” However, unlike the two aforementioned releases, this EP feels a little less technological, less processed and more organic somehow. Really, more than anything it reminds me of the first track from the long-past album In Menstrual Night, with its swirl of voices and eerie melodies buried in the mix.

The most prominent sound in this album is of voices speaking, or reading, looped and overlooped to render them nearly unintelligible; occasionally a word or two will be clearly audible, but mostly this is simply a sibilant and sinister layer of sound. Coursing through the track is a choir singing a very familiar melody, which I suspect may have appeared on another c93 album but which I can’t quite place at the moment. Low drones, the deep tolling of a bell, a little girl reciting the Kyrie Eleison and even a few old-style howls from Tibet; familiar elements, but used in interesting new ways.

Overall, this piece really strikes me not so much as a literal soundtrack for the Stenbock story, but perhaps more of an insight into the mind of Stenbock himself. Unlike the previous two “soundtrack” albums, the power of the music didn’t seem to come through as much while reading the story; it was only afterwards, sitting alone in a dark room, letting my mind drift with the music that I really connected with the raw horror of this chilling release. If any of the other three albums mentioned above appeal to you, you’ll absolutely love this one.

No epilogue.