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Rating:
THE REVIEW
Sometimes, when I just don't know what to do, I read a gamepasta. Don't know what it is? In the end, it's often nonsense: it's a little horror story or supposedly so, to be read at midnight between two mirrors, where more often than not the unfortunate protagonist buys the videogame of his dreams at a ridiculously low price, notices something is off, thinks harmless glitches are involved, and then realizes he's in deep trouble, loses the challenge against the seller/hacker/serial killer amidst ailments and photos of the mutilated, and at the end of the day is found dead with his internal organs exposed, just to give them some air. Lovely.
Such foolishness causes me more disgust and anger, often alongside mocking pity, than fear. It seems that nowadays, one often forgets that fear, unease, angst dwell deep inside, primordial, distant yet very close, constantly lurking.
That said, there is an album, "Excavation" by The Haxan Cloak (which means "the witch's cloak," meaning Bobby Krlic), that scared me more than twenty gamepasta. Yes, because here the samples, the beats, the fucking drone, the minimalist facade penetrate deeply, "deeper than inside" as Picciotto would say, provoking at the same time a loss of self and the terrible awareness of anguish. A continuous transcending and sinking until the final agony; distant echoes, from this perspective, of Deathspell Omega and Sunn O))); less brutal, equally vivid. Gaping voids and claustrophobic rooms.
I'm not quite sure what to say about this album. It's proof that in 2013 there are still those who can make music. Beyond that, I believe that discussion about music should be synthetic and not analytical. What's on the cover, eh? Is that rope the one the last user of the work used to hang themselves, does it symbolize a drop in the abyss or is it the one from which we descended as we began listening, only to realize that it was our last hold? I don't know, just like I don't know and don't understand a damn thing about electronic music, but still more than some disco bimbos, that much is true.
But I know, or rather, feel that "Excavation" is an album to listen to and recommend. I hope that's enough for you. I have to leave you now, a pockmarked-faced man has appeared in the corridor, perhaps it has to do with the Final Fantasy I bought on eBa - SLAAASH
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Summary by Bot
The review explores The Haxan Cloak's album Excavation as a powerful and terrifying musical experience. Unlike superficial horror stories, this electronic/dark ambient album evokes deep existential fear and anguish. The reviewer highlights the album's drone and minimalistic beats that induce a sense of claustrophobia and loss of self. It is considered a rare example of impactful music in 2013 and highly recommended despite the author's admitted limited understanding of electronic music.Tracklist
The Haxan Cloak
The Haxan Cloak is the stage name of Bobby Krlic, a British composer and producer known for dark, droning electronic and ambient work, notably the 2013 album Excavation.01 Reviews
