From the opening lines, slicnaton’s “Storch” sounds like menace slowly being poured over a smoldering fire. I imagine that scene from Apocalypse Now where a sweat-drenched and terrified Martin Sheen makes his way into the jungle temple to slay his mortal foe, only to find the gruesome reality of human nature fully on display. No, Marty! Don’t go in there! . . . The horror! The fuckin’ horror, man.
Nicholas Slaton uses analog instruments married with digital manipulation to create vast soundscapes both terrifying and full of intrigue. Melodies fall into each other and disintegrate into sound artifact. Each layer creaks along with the anticipation of something truly terrible lurking around the corner. Hints of jazz linger from well-captured woodwinds before being washed away. Sometimes you can’t even tell what it is you are hearing but that only adds to this experience.
Even for someone who is not an avid fan of drone music, this track has something to offer an audiophile looking for inspiration for creativity or perhaps the darkness within themselves.