With an obscenely large collection of self-released (and largely out of print) CDs, tapes, and vinyl behind them, recently-split noise duo Yellow Swans have released their next-to-last record. Originally released as a limited edition cassette in 2007, Deterioration is a study in the quieter aspects of the noise genre.
Instead of the visceral, guttural feedback of early releases such as Against Sleep And Nightmare and Bring The Neon War Home, Pete Swanson and Gabriel Mindel Saloman opt for free-form drones and hypnotic guitar textures.
Each of the five tracks tells its own sinister story. "Broken Eraser/Time Stretch” slowly builds tension like an incidental film score, hinting at what fate might lay beyond. The mood of "Reintegration" is uneasy, and the sense of a descent into madness is all around; fuzzy distorted drones permeate the groans of tormented feedback. This descent into insanity continues into "Burnt Dub." The untitled track four is harsher and more noise-drenched, focusing more on feedback and bass drones, while "Dirty Heads" calms things down a little with wailing guitar drones to conclude the nightmare for another night.
Right up to the end, Yellow Swans showed remarkable skill for creating space and progression out of electronic fragments. The duo may be no more, but their sound is still swirling in our consciousness. It is one of heavy atmosphere and ominous drones that rumble and taunt from the shadows. While Deterioration is a softer recording, the two noiseniks still retain the same basic idea of presenting noise as music.
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