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VARIOUS ARTISTS "Thalamus III"

Press-release by KultFront (08.2009):

KultFRONT has dipped its hands into the musical bins of the post-industrial past, and drew out of there the unreleased recordings or the projects participated in THALAMUS III fest. Four years have passed since that time. The creative direction of many musicians has changed beyond recognition, and that's why we feel enthusiastic to 'remember' and understand something which is already past and yet unknown.

The 'deja vu release' THALAMUS III is a kind of mirror in which one can see himself through the prism of 10 compositions. This set for the soul is just as stylistically varied as any other compilation from KultFRONT. Presented music ranges from pacificating ambient to totally sizzling noise. The release is split in 2 parts, each represented by same set of musicians. After the first musical cascade you're suggested to have a sort of "sonic flashback". Like in any other situation, this comeback to the traversed orbit may be even more fascinating than the debut travel.

Let's remind that THALAMUS III fest featured: Alexei Borisov, Bardoseneticcube, DMT, Neizvestnost', Ganzer, 1g0g & Anna Zhurko, Govorit Radio Kosmos. The compilation consists of compositions going in the same order as it happened on stage.

To the material rarities lovers and those who attended the festival we recommend to buy the first 50 copies of this small edition. There you will find the original posters of the fest THALAMUS III. To keep the deja vu state these discs also contain important 'wastepaper' with post-festival feelings of it's creators.

Review by Gothtronic:

This release from the KultFront label is a compilation of live performances from captured from the Red Club event held in St. Petersburg in December 2005. It obviously took a long time before a cd of this event was released. Because of all this waiting, you get two cd's (well, don't know really, just made that up), where both cd's have the same artists in the same order. In reading the track list most of it is spelled in Russian, but one act sticks out that I know is Bardoseneticcube. Let's take a closer look at what's on offer here.

The release starts with a song by Alexei Borisov called simply 'Track01'. This is a very abstract, bleepy and somewhat noisy soundscape. The track has an ambience like that of the subconscious mind of a CPU. The second track is by Bardoseneticcube, with another inspiring song title 'Untitled 1'. This is really a magnificent track. Beautifully mystic sounds and samples create a very great ambience. Near the end the song gets more intense and noisy. This is a highlight already! DMT deliver a very nice industrial-dub track with 'лБООЙВБМЙЪН'. Neizvestnost go a little old school EBM with 'оЕЙЪЧЕУФОЩК фТЕЛ 1'. It's like the old school EBM sound is mangled through Warp Records. Ganzer deliver with 'Tophet' a heavy guitar noise track. Igor Solnzev and Anna Jurko create a very dark and atmospheric soundscape with 'рЕТЧБС дПТПЦЛБ'. We seem to start somewhere in an Indian slum to eventually be abducted by industrial machineries. The first cd ends with a track by зПЧПТЙФ тБДЙП лПУНПУ with a track called 'ьЖЙТОЩЕ фЕОЙ'. The song is an effective and abstract drone soundscape with some intense industrial elements. The second cd contains continuation of the tracks from the first cd, which I will not spoil for you, but are of the same high quality.

This is very much an essential compilation for anyone interested in the Russian experimental industrial and noise scene. All tracks are of very good quality and are also very diverse. The second cd represents the same style of tracks by the represented bands in the form of a continuation of the tracks on the first disc. A very high recommendation to connoisseurs of experimental industrial music and people interested in what the Russian experimental industrial and noise underground has to offer..

Fabian

Review by MuzikReviews.com:

A thalamus is a small structure deep in the brain that helps coordinate sensations and consciousness. If you want to make yours rattle and hum, listen to Thalamus III, a two-disc set of intense ambient music recorded live in 2005. The performance took place in St. Petersburg and the artists are pillars of the Russian Industrial music scene. It's dark and gritty noise music that draws you in and freaks you out at the same time. Expect trippy collages of musical and industrial sounds, not pulsing house music.

This sort of industrial art noise is similar to more mainstream electronic music. It's full of synths and samples and some of the tracks do have a steady bump to them. 'Unknown Track 1' byNeizvestnost' has an almost Latin dance feel and 'Cambodia' by DMT suddenly explodes into 30 seconds of loud, steady pounding. A few other tracks have down-tempo trip-hop-style drum beats. You'll hear samples of voices in at least two different languages, babies crying, singing obscured by static. It all adds to the atmosphere. In the foreground of 'Untitled 1' by Bardoseneticcube a fervent male voice orates in German and it's unsettling. It's also part of one of the album's best tracks, a riveting collage that constantly evolves and changes shape.

I recommend all one-and-a-half hours of dark vibes and trippy soundscapes on Thalamus III. The musical engineers featured are far-out creative experts, and listening to it you might feel transported to a mental foreign land.

Nathaniel Rolnick

See also an article about Thalamus III at Far From Moscow.

Reviews in Russian: http://kr.radionoise.ru/rus/va_thalamus_iii_press.html