Locust
Weathered Well

For his debut, released in 1994 by the delightful label Apollo, Locust, whom his mother, Mrs. Van Hoen, calls Mark, adopted, for this excellent attempt, a sumptuous production applied to ambient material of conventional imprint, often rhythmic.

Amid the plethora of sound trash, music for deep listening is immediately recognized by the timbres. Once the daily grind is sent packing, these unprecedented sounds directly introduce into cyberspace, a dimension where overly intense frequencies can weld touching metals, and where – did you forget? – no one can hear you scream.

The struggle for survival offers, to the emotionless attention of the characters moving within it, sharp images and possible goals. In virtual reality, it is necessary to identify the essential elements – without completely obliterating the details. Resistance and determination are necessary. Synthesizers and effects are all the available equipment. A measured pace, constant pulse control, and a clear and logical approach are indicated. Existence is an accident: it is only accompanied by reason that rises to the dignity of life. Nobility and power accentuate the nine intense, engaging episodes of this robot-guide. For it, human expressions are utterly alien: it memorizes and repeats the words, but the message's understanding eludes it. The rooms of its world are invaded by invisible but lethal magnetic fields.

Not even the less aerodynamic passages offer refuge: attention is drawn into the menacing spirals that hypnotically continue to coil upon themselves and remains in a catatonic state where it should instead sense the pressing of new events. There is no evil, no pain, but humidity and voltage fluctuations are terrible dangers. Here, I almost feel like an alien presence that Locust has stealthily brought into a cultured, refined sound world where something is always happening, even in situations of apparent calm. “Weathered well” is an experience that, through the Antarctic solitudes (“Still”, “Moist moss”) and desperate escapes (“Music about love”, “Weathered gate”) from looming threats (“Lust”, “Xenophobe”), tempers the will, dances the mind and convinces that, to truly enjoy the soundscape, it is time to purchase a better hi-fi system.