re:mote voices

Title: The Abyss Stares Back
Artist: S.Q.E.
Label: Influx Communications

Once upon a time there was a band called Smooth Quality Excrement, and it was a band made up of 3 people. They did an album called Bird And Truck Collisions, which was a droning piece of experimental music. Time has passed and Smooth Quality Excrement is now going by the name S.Q.E. and is now the solo project of J. Greco. There are some similarities in style, both feature droning and ambient undertones, but on the whole S.Q.E.’s album The Abyss Stares Back is a different beast.

The first of the tend tracks on The Abyss Stares Back is On Broadway, where the fact that this is a different sound is made clear straight away. A relatively short piece, we are greeted by almost operatic vocals, accompanied by the background sound of something that could be passing traffic or washing waves. The next track provides a better idea of what the album holds, Daughters Of Albion Awake mixing a sense of updated 70’s rock music with a certain folk undertone. It starts with picked bass sounds that take us in by steps. From there we have solid and complimentary drums, which are then fleshed out with the presence of drifting lush strings and a woman’s voice kind of sing-talking. The vocals by Tracey Jeffrey giving it that particularly esoteric/folk feel.

Guitars shimmer, introducing Jorinda X, bass sliding out from beneath. With Jorinda X, Kris Force sings lyrics based on a work by the Brothers Grimm in a high-pitched voice. Bass drones flit through the whole, darkening the mood. In construction terms this feels like it has a lot of space for the listener to slip into. To close your eyes, and let the contrasting depths of bass and fragile string take you. Drum strikes seem to trigger the sustained drones of Epitaph 1, the first of two pieces, both of which feature Ure Thrall on e-bowed guitar - Thrall having been a member of this bands previous incarnation. The sound fabric shifts, with buzz edged washes, taking the spatial sense of Jorinda X further.

Like Daughters Of Albion Awake before it, The Wondrous Boat Ride has a deliberate stepped out introduction. As with Jorinda X, this features the voice of Kris Force, though this time the inspiration is Roald Dahl rather than Grimm. Here the voice works on more layers, deeper and quieter to match the solid bass, only to be interspersed, then layered with a higher repetition of the same lines. Despite all this the piece is surprisingly understated for the effect it has, a darkly edged slow motion fairy tale. Diamond is another instrumental piece, which comes in on a bass edge. Building dark currents and absorbing washes. Diamond plays with dark ambient themes and the feel of drones generated by e-bowed bass.

Epitaph 2 follows on from Epitaph 1, another instrumental, with contributions from Ure Thrall. This part has vibrant liquid sounds, played in transient, hesitant spirals. This is followed by Cat, which I would say is my favourite track on the CD. Chiming notes introduce Cat along with background buzzing. Through this we get a kind of distracted whistling - which gives way to a voice of breathless intensity. Danielle Hlatky is the owner of this compelling voice, which reminds at points of Bjork with the precise intonation and enthusiasm. The voice is accompanied by what sounds like viola and tuba, and the whole piece is perhaps the quirkiest contribution to the album, even while it retains that fairy tale sensation.

After the quirkiest track on the album with Cat, we are given the most upbeat track of the album with 1974. Swirling and jaunty notes play with a rapid beat work Spacey blips fire through the mix to emphasize the feeling, while a periodic melody washes in with a more reflective and contrasting mood. The album’s official end of Ota, a tinkling music box piece that plays the fragile melody of cogs shifting slowly. At times layering in chimes to give a more solid feeling, before teasing out a conclusion. There is a hidden track, which comes at some point after Ota that is an understated contribution.