Written by: The Administrator
If MEGAFAUNA doesn't represent the perfect antithesis of easy listening, I shudder to think what else could have possibly earned that designation. Indeed, in my review of MEGAFAUNA's unsettling and engrossing Venator, released back in April of 2024, I wrote that the project is "not a light nor carefree listen." I also called it "unabashedly weird and intense" and referenced both an "uncomfortable urgency" and a tendency to nail a sense of "terrible disassociation that paradoxically makes you hyperaware of your physicality." In short, I liked Venator very much, and found MEGAFAUNA's articulation of anxiety, fear, paranoia, and depression to be quite poignant. I Owe This Land a Body similarly presents an intense soundscape, leaning into a lonely and foreboding eeriness. This is, after all, an album explicitly exploring the notion that "how dying is the last decent thing we can do." A sense of profound despair implicitly and intentionally seeps forth from the Megafauna corpus, and this latest isn't exactly a cheery listen. With that said, I Owe This Land a Body is less immediately jarring than Venator, and even manages to undercut its own sense of unease with some unexpected bright spots.
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Written by: The Administrator
I'm unsure what role a "Wind Doula" plays in the grand scheme of meteorological phenomenon, but as a track title, the term undeniably oozes a certain Fuzznautian vibe. This latest single from our favorite one-man instrumental soundscapist is, like all of Emilio Rizzo's work, a breath of fresh air. If you're a devout reader of the Sleeping Village--and/or currently living within the walls of our drafty scriptorium--you likely recognize the name. But for the unfamiliar, Fuzznaut writes comforting and immersive music that should feel minimalistic but is often unexpectedly engrossing. Bridging the (often inscrutable) gap between fuzzy doom, shoegaze, atmospheric post-rock, and drone, Emilio's work is always a welcome additional to my listening rotation. The past few weeks, this latest track accompanies me pretty much every morning as I am waking up, preparing body and mind for the day. Much like "Spacerock" made an impact back in May of this year, "Wind Doula" has become an almost ritualistic addition to my day. "Wind Doula" is immediately identifiable as a product of Fuzznaut. The common components are all there, and while this track does feel a tad fuzzier and incorporates a lil' reverb-laden percussive stomp at the beginning, nothing really breaks the formula. This track feels like the soundtrack that plays whilst trudging alone across a desolate windswept plain, dust devils dancing lazily in the hazy distance. It is lonely and elegant and organic, and breathes in a weathered way. The track oozes a languid sense of meandering--it documents a journey with distinct forward motion, but the destination feels irrelevant. It's a relaxing listen, and "Wind Doula" honestly feels a little short at 4:20. Indeed, if this thing were an hour long, I'd gladly partake. Fuzznaut - Wind Doula was released Sept. 6th, 2024. Find it here! 
Written by: The Administrator
We slumbering scribes are honored to premiere here today a sonically eclectic charity compilation benefiting a Gazan family. In the words of Basil Elzeenaty: "amidst the chaos, we yearn for a helping hand to provide sustenance, essential medical aid, and the means to secure shelter." Purchasing Love Songs is a direct way to provide assistance. This 11 track compilation was compiled and curated by Ben Serna-Grey of Mother Anxiety, and is currently available for pre-order on bandcamp for an exceptionally fair $1. It will be released in full tomorrow, July 26th, but if the meantime you can listen to it in full below! We'll talk more about the music itself shortly, but first, let's talk about the cause itself. Whereas many charity projects I've encountered are vague when it comes to where exactly the money goes, 100% of the funds raised go towards supporting Dr. Basil's campaign through Operation Olive Branch to help safely evacuate his family (parents, 4 sisters, and 2 brothers) from Gaza. More info about the campaign can be found via Gofundme--I encourage you to read Basil's story in full. At the time of writing, €36,603 has been raised of €55,000 goal, and if this compilation can narrow that gap by any amount, it has been a worthwhile endeavor. In the midst of genocide it is far too easy to lose sense of the victims on an individual basis, and understanding the impact of the charity on a personal level reinforces the importance of fundraising. Supporting directly and/or purchasing the compilation is a very concrete and tangible way to assist Gazans in dire need of security and basic human amenities. Additionally, Ben will generously send a free Mother Anxiety patch and some stickers (while supplies last) to anyone who donates at least $5 to any Operation Olive Branch campaign and shows proof. Without further ado: listen to Love Songs below! As always, we'll meet ye on the other side. 
Written by: The Administrator
I grew up in a very rural area. Heavily forested and lushly dark, depressive, lonely. As such, I can assert that any creepy tale you've heard about stuff that happens in the woods at night is almost certainly true. There is something in the woods. There is always something in the woods. Indeed, to reiterate: ţ̸̧̨͈̤̞̦̻͛̋̀̀̎̐̃͜h̴̡̬̖̻̽̋̇͊̄͠ẻ̶̲̻̟̣̙̓͆̏͋̇͒͆̚r̴̪͛͆̓͂̀e̷͔͉̹̼̪͖̬̘̳̋̐͊ ̷̘͓̅̓̈̎̓̌̽̓ỉ̶̜̰̻̮͈͐͌̈̅͘̕ś̷̩̘̤̝̭͎̜͕̪̐̂ͅ ̷̟͔̞̊̀̓͜͝͝s̸̺̭̪͊̓͒̈̏̀͒̎ō̴̟̰̳̫̥͊̾̓̀̾͘͜m̷͕͖̜̥͙̮̟̮̥̩̱̐̒͂͠ĕ̵̹̍̎͊̀̍̕͠͝ẗ̶̢͕̠͎̥͕͈̲̝̓͒͜͜h̶͓̦̟̰͈̘̐̄̔͗̆̇̂̈͑͗͝ͅi̴̦͇͎͒̈́̋̿́̆͠ͅn̴̢͇͇̥̫͚̮͗͋͂̉͘̕͝g̷͍͑͗̈̓ ̶̬͚̪̗̺̽͊͂͠i̷̛͚̘͚͑͐̏̈́̑̕͠ņ̸̧̢̹̻̭̘̗̼̳̖̍̆̀̂̃́̿́̎̿̀ ̷̮̐͐̃̅̓̃̕̕͠ṱ̵͓̣͚͈͍̯̮̻̟̠̓̋́̍̀͌̓h̷͔̰̱̤̓̌ẻ̵̛̪͍̅͌̍͑ ̴̼̱̳̞͈̫̟͓̫̗͗͛͑w̶̯͌̈́̽̾͑̔̿̀̊̈̕ǒ̴͎͙̦̮̬̩̝̦͌́͛͋̈̇͊͜o̷͕̳̖͈̙̙̓̏d̶̢͙̹̝͍̜̜̃͒̔̾́s̴̫̘̻͈̹̤̼͕͖̋́͝ British Columbia's Megafauna understands this all too well, whether the woods are literal or figurative or combination of both. Megafauna's bandcamp page self-describes the project as "the soundtrack to your depressive episode." To get a little more specific, Venator was created "in various stages of exhaustion, mental illness, bursts of creativity, fear, anger, sadness, joy, nihilism and limited free time." It may not surprise you to learn, then, that Venator is not a light nor carefree listen. It is immersing and at times quite clever in its use of sound to convey emotion and command atmosphere. It captures some very particular feelings that are often very difficult--practically, emotionally--to illustrate. 
Written by: Continuous Thunder
As a self-proclaimed aficionado of slow metal here in the Village, I find sludge metal to be one of the more intriguing sub-genres. While it’s often described as a combination of doom metal and hardcore punk, the application of those influences can vary widely from artist to artist. Naturally, this leads to a diverse pool of artists that can be described as sludge. How else would you end up with bands like Melvins and Isis under the same umbrella? I’m not usually one to stress over the minutiae of hyper-specific sub-genres and when it comes to sludge, I tend to trust my ears and I know it when I hear it. All that being said, They Grieve bring some heavy sludge. 
Written by: The Administrator
Okay. In order to set the stage, please excuse some heavy self-plagerization. In discussing "Haunting Mantra," Fuzznaut's excellent standalone single from the long-ago year of 2020, I wrote that guitarist and composer Emilio Rizzo's work is "self-contained enough to provide certain boundaries, yet breathable enough to allow for a steadfast sense of relaxation, creating a lush environment without feeling overly complex or indulgent." On this latest project, the 26 minute Apophenia, Rizzo presents similar ideas in format that feels even more meditative, yet tinged with the emotional weight of seemingly omnipresent melancholy. Before we get too far into the fray: this is a strong album, a crystal-clear encapsulation of the trademark Fuzznaut approach and aesthetic. While your mileage will absolutely vary depending on your willingness to sink into the embrace of atmospheric instrumental music, I highly recommend trying Apophenia on for size. 
Written by: The Administrator
Let's get the obvious out of the way. If you're reading a review for a band called, erm, Chestcrush, and haven't yet mentally and physically prepared to have your sternum mercilessly shattered and ground down into the finest of bonemeal, you might want to swiftly backpedal into calmer waters. Two parts of this three-track monstrosity are perhaps the most belligerent and violent manifestations of the Chestcrush approach to date, which is saying something if you are familiar with their prior work. Indeed, Apechtheia is as crushingly malevolent as 2021’s stellar Vdelygmia. The aggression displayed is frankly pretty stunning. However, on this latest, the stakes feel grander and the violence at play feels more calculated, more sinister. The tracks are certainly longer, trading the comfort of familiar song structure for more expansive odysseys through grinding blackened death and, perhaps more uncomfortable, a viciously introspective brand of nihilism. Apechtheia is progressive in the sense that it truly feels like a deliberate progression beyond that which came before. It feels like a genuine maturation.  Written by: The Administrator
Drone: a severely underappreciated entity 'round these parts. There's something arresting and alluring about the promise of a sustained sound stretching forevermore into the abyss. But, despite the implicit draw, I seldom find myself submerged in the genre. One reliable exception to the trend is the work of Depression Quilt (which, as an aside, is in the running for my favorite band name of all time.) Depression Quilt notably mixes the dronier elements with a dark ambient vibe and flair for atmosphere, resulting in a sonic blend that handily avoids the doldrums of the component parts. It is a conglomerate that provides interesting soundscapes without demanding too much from the listener. 2021's excellent [OVERLAPPING WHISPERS] spent a lot of time in rotation due to a unique ability to calm me down at a point in time when calm was an incredibly scarce resource. Needless to say, I was excited to hear that Depression Quilt was set to release a new album--and on the fantastic Trepanation Recordings, no less. And then when sirshannon asked for a track/music video premiere, I could hardly pass up the opportunity. And so here we are. Check out "The Walking Cure" from the forthcoming [INDISTINCT CLATTER CONTINUES] below! As always, we'll meet ye on the other side. 
Written by: The Administrator
If, dear reader, you possess a preexisting familiarity with Witnesses, you already are aware of three unshakable truths: Firstly, Witnesses writes very good atmospheric doom metal. Secondly, when not writing very good atmospheric doom metal, Witnesses writes equally good atmospheric ambient music. Thirdly, today's Witnesses album in question is not a new release--in fact, it saw the light of day back in February of last year. But that was in mere digital form. On Friday the 18th, IV will be released in the vinyl form it deserves. As such, we are streaming it today in celebration, and in hopes that a few new fans find their way into the comfortable fold. More talk later. In the meantime, listen to IV in full below. We'll meet ye, as always, on the other side. |
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