Poland's Subradial was previously reviewed here via the standout track, "Misty Hills," on the Databloem Collection 2: Moving. Now, Databloem's CDR sublabel DataObscura graces us with the first Subradial full-length, Bioloophorm, granting us an opportunity to bask in his unusual soundworlds for over an hour. I'm duly impressed with the offerings from Databloem/DataObscura, as they continue to reflect upon past electronic musics while still maintaining a fresh and creative sheen--Subradial's debut is no exception.

None of the tracks on Bioloophorm are titled, which allows for an album-length flow of subtly (and not so subtly) shifting textures. Each of the five parts of the album is distinctly different, but the mood is maintained throughout, creating a slow, lengthy journey through dark and light. During the first part, deep tones reminiscent of early sections of Namlook and Laswell's Outland 2 mix with phasing and haunting choral synth. Subradial is clearly indebted to Biosphere (in fact, Jenssen is thanked in the album credits)--the icy textures and isolationist drifts are dead ringers for Jenssen's work on Substrata and Cirque. Echoes of Thomas Köner are also present, making for a singularly appealing sonic drift on the order of Aubrite. The minimal atmospheres fade into part two--suddenly all organic machinery, water movement, birds calling--with the Biosphere touch. I also note a resemblance to the early work of Woob; the layered soundscapes somehow rapturous and compelling, though completely exotic and unfamiliar sounding. These layers fade in turn to allow a drone to take command--if we were at forest floor level before, we are now somewhere below ground allowing the humus and detritus to shroud our observations. This is extraordinary deep ambience; with unusual sounds and static breaking up the low sonics. While the mood is ominous here, it is never cloyingly frightful. By this time, the Biosphere similarities have been dispensed with; track three begins with gonging tones similar to the quieter work of A Produce. The music has achieved a stasis of metallic undertones, always anchored by metronomic gonging. Other sonic elements are introduced, including a texture that sounds like wind in leaves. A guitar is added, and the track starts to seem like an impossible combination of Alio Die and Windy & Carl--all strange chirrups, nature's sonic delights, and hazy guitar atmospheres.

Found sounds play a large part in Bioloophorm's construction. The sheer number of different sounds and textures are a pleasure in and of themselves to pick out and enjoy. There's a lot going on here beneath the obvious, and tracks like this make repeated listenings a joy. Part four is somewhat darker than the previous sections, featuring strange scrapings and post-industrial atmospheres that would appeal to fans of Andrew Chalk and certain Cold Meat Industry artists. Later, I am reminded of the bizarre mechanical lullabies of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works, Volume II--music that will always operate somewhere out of time. Indeed, even the breathing music of Vidna Obmana is present here, making this track a strange melting pot of modern ambient art. Here is where Subradial’s strengths are most readily apparent. He is able to assimilate recent classic ambient work, cobbling together what he needs to create a new, original work that reminds one of his influences but never slavishly follows the original sounds. For me, this makes the work all the more appealing--Subradial creates music with respect to past works but with talent enough to make these touchstones his own.

Part five is similar to Alio Die's work, creating deep drones coupled with processed "other sounds" that are hard to recognize. Muted sound in the background hints at vocalization, but one is never sure what exactly one is hearing. It's a mysterious journey that offers little more than hints as to its origin. The latter half of this track creeped me out a little--reminding me more than once of movies taking place on other planets; complete with alien lifeforms chittering ominously off-screen. And there shall come soft rains with part six, along with soft guitar playing and slight, tapping percussives. At just above eight minutes, this is the briefest track on the CD. It is also something of a stylistic shift, offering an extremely listenable ambient-techno groove. Perhaps it is out of place on the album, but I found the unusual percussion and sonic tones to be a pleasing and welcome finish to a very memorable debut.

Tomasz Szatewicz (the man behind Subradial) is clearly a man well-grounded in past ambient works--but with a level of talent that allows him to utilize these past influences and make them distinctly his own. While sonic trailblazing is clearly not the name of the game here, Szatewicz's command of treated found sound is top notch and a definite highlight of the listening experience. Fans of any of the artists I've mentioned above will surely agree that Subradial has crafted a memorable debut; one that would not be out of place with the work of many an ambient master. Szatewicz is definitely a talent to watch, and I'll enjoy hearing more Subradial material in future.

Available from DataObscura, the CDR sublabel of Databloem.

since July 15, 2003