Enemy From Space - "Abstractions" (Imperial Fuzz 2002, 142)
Uploaded to Aural Innovations: August 2003
Enemy From Space is a solo project by Kelly Shane, whom AI readers may know as the drummer for both Naked Elf and Solution Science Systems. And as much as those two bands differ in sound from each other, so does the music on Abstractions differ from them.
The unexpected happens. Shane trades his drums in for synthesizers and creates some pure, electronic, mysterious, beautiful, and often freaky space music. I’m not sure exactly what to compare this too. It’s not ambient washes of sound, nor is it sequence driven like the Krautrock pioneers. There’s certainly a prog influence here, as pieces have a structured feel to them, often changing pace and style midway through. And each piece is completely distinctive in it’s own sound, something unusual in this kind of music. Legion of Superpets, for example, (despite its amusing title) is full of shimmering, deep space reverberations, like floating on the edges of sunlight against a starry backdrop. Mysteries of Space, however, is a one of those tracks with a proggy feel, shifting through several different sonic landscapes during the course of its 4-minute length, from twittering, liquid sound effects to an upbeat, Jean-Michel Jarre-like melodic romp, to a soaring, symphonic conclusion. To Be Born, on the other hand, is a dark and disturbing little piece, full of crashes, eerie electronics, distorted noises, and what may be sampled voices. One of my favorite pieces is Witchcraft ’69, the longest track on the album, clocking in at 7 ½-minutes. Horror movie organ floats through darkly ambient pastures of sound, while distorted voices and other sound effects fade in and out of the mix. It’s a cool, and quite effective journey. Though it brings me to my one complaint about the album. I liked Witchcraft ’69 because it stretched out for a bit and did some exploring. But some of the pieces on Abstractions were just too darn short! Just as I was getting into them they would fade out!
Still, this is a fascinating and very listenable journey into some strange, beautiful, often very alien, and yes, definitely abstract electronic realms.
For more information you can visit the Enemy From Space web site at: http://enemyfromspace.com.
Email at: efs@enemyfromspace.com.
Contact via snail mail c/o Imperial Fuzz; 3400 Stratford Rd; Suite 4205; Atlanta, GA 30326.
Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald