Inade
Audio Mythology One LP/CD
Audio Mythology One CD order @ deep-audio
LOKI 57
There’s more to the history of the incomparable Dark Ambient Sound Sculptors, Inade, than meets the ear.
Audio Mythology One gathers unreleased material and compilation tracks, the shards and splintered remnants that litter the cosmic wasteland that is their sonic home. These are essential pieces of the vast network of sound manipulation that fills the blackened soul of night, the heart of primal urgency, haunting and dramatic, abounding with the ethereal mist of unease and dense ruminations that breathe and exhale awe with every resonant pulse.
Masterful audio musings. A.M. ONE is an introduction to the archive of INADE’s sound work. The first part of this series is focusing on unreleased and now finalised material from the recording period of “The Incarnation Of The Solar Architects” album, V.A. compilation tracks and re-worked studio material of live backing tracks.The vinyl edition comes in gatefold cover folder and includes the CD version as bonus packed in a slipcase.
The tracks on the vinyl are mixed in two 22 minutes sets and appear in a different track order as on CD. The material was especially mastered for the vinyl cut.
Limited edition of 300 copies only and exclusively available via LOKI/deep.audio and Malignant Records in the States.The regular CD-edition comes in jewel case and 16-pg booklet.
Mastered for CD and vinyl by SECRETLAB.
Tracklist: 1. The Engine Of Inferno 2. Metaspheres 3. Divine Hybrid 4.Nomina Nuda 5. Tenemus 6. Asteroid Probe 7. Ethos Anthropo Daimon 8. The Ocean Of Fate 9. The Tower Of Bones
REVIEW (Santa Sangre):
Just a year after “Antimimon Pneumatos”, the German legends of deep/ dark ambient offer us another glimpse into their meticulously constructed universe. “Audio Mythology One” is a collection of previously unreleased tracks from the recording period of “The Incarnation of the Solar Architects” (around 2009), as well as some compilation tracks that are now hard to find. It’s released in two versions, the regular CD version and the vinyl+CD version, that contains the tracks in different order, mixed into two sets of 22 minutes each, plus the CD version as a bonus. The vinyl version is limited to 300 copies for Europe and US, so I suggest you move fast if you haven’t already procured yourself a copy.
The “Solar Architects” period is Inade’s best according to many fans – I see their work quite differently, as an evolving, non-linear world further revealed and unfolded with each new release. Inade are the gods presiding over the cold, distant space of pre-creation, and underneath this galactic throne a vortex of primal matter swirls and eventually forms a universe. This movement is frozen in time, cycling perpetually. Where it takes place there is no time. A new release appears, a window is opened to the unknown – and we can peek in. This feeling of the unlimited and the absolute is also present here, and we have yet another portal in our hands. Time to embark on the journey.
The first track, “The Engine of Inferno”, is an edit of the two opening tracks in “Solar Architects”, “The Engine of the Mind” and “Abandoned Inferno”, judging by the title and general atmosphere. Don’t think you will find any apparent similarities however, this is a completely reworked version – deep, reverberating voice samples, sweeping drones, dramatic ambient sequences, tribal percussions, and only some echoes of the old tracks fading in the background – a new animal altogether. Imposing and urgent in its dark magnificence, it constitutes one of the album’s definite highlights. The next two are compilation tracks; “Metaspheres” originates from “The Walls Are Whispering” released in 2003 by the Belgian EE Tapes in a limited edition (I suspect now impossible to find), and “Divine Hybrid” comes from “A Final Testimony”, sampler compilation for the magazine Seküencias De Culto, released in 2004. A very cinematic track, different from the “clear” Inade sound we are used to, it contains an abundance of elements such as voice, drones, string arrangement samples, even samples of the sound of thunder roaring through the sky. A menacing, minimalistic piano melody is even more reminiscent of an old horror flick such as for instance, The Omen. This is what Inade would sound like if they were composing horror film soundtracks.
And then we move to the most amazing moment of the album, that is “Nomina Nuda Tenemus” – a track originally intended to be included in “Solar Architects”. Not at all difficult to understand why, but in a way it’s best for us that it didn’t make the cut, because now we can receive it as a treat. The title is part of the final phrase from Umberto Eco’s The Name Of The Rose, “Stat Rosa Pristina Nomine, Nomina Nuda Tenemus” (The rose remains pristine in name, nude names we hold). The inherent sadness, the Weltschmerz if a precise word for it is to be found, expressed through that phrase, as well as its poetic power and beauty couldn’t be put to music more perfectly than this. A melancholic voice, a neoclassic sequence gliding like a ghost through the background atmospheres, the sounds of a place long forgotten, that continues to bear some small signs of life. Nothing more, nothing less. Pure perfection.
“Asteroid Probe” comes from the Inade/ Anenzephalia/ Operation Cleansweep split released in 2006. Mostly a low-tempo atmospheric track consisting of the expanding, deep droning that is so characteristic of Inade, as well as various other environment sounds such as bells, chimes, water or metal, and some faint echoes of voices almost out of reach. The two next tracks are previously unreleased; “Ethos Anthropo Daimon” (which could be translated from Greek as “the morals of man and spirit”) excels in what I consider one of Inade’s major advantages, namely the masterful use of vocal samples. Male and female voices interpose, overlap, materialize and evaporate in a discussion about man and war, transmitted in some future time and place, as fragments of a half-deleted holographic recording. If you happen to be a Babylon 5 fan, think Grey Council. “The Ocean of Fate” evokes something at once ancient and futuristic, as the sound is clean, high-strung, technological – but the essence of life, the mechanisms of it rest in its core. A dark ambient track using a lot of organic and instrumental sounds to place emphasis on movement, evolution, the effect of which is quite chilling and dramatic. “The Tower of Bones” comes from “A Tribute to Zdzislaw Beksinski” released by Polish label Wrotycz in 2004. This is a very interesting compilation as apart from Inade you can find many other known dark ambient names (Desiderii Marginis, Necrophorus, Gustaf Hildebrand, Asmorod, Svartsinn etc). As may well be expected given the subject matter it’s inspired from, this is a noisy, somewhat chaotic and very dark track with a post-apocalyptic aura. Grinding, crawling, crushing sounds, muffled footsteps, a variety of voices, metallic clangs, static – all participating in this modern danse macabre.
When reviewing a project such as Inade the review is in jeopardy of rendering itself obsolete; there are so many things to marvel at and discover, so many nuances, layers and interpretations. The meanings run deep and parallel, words can only try to catch up with them. Very often they will fail. “Nomina Nuda Tenemus” will haunt me for a long time to come, and as for the whole album, this was really an early Christmas treat – even for those of us that don’t make much of Christmas.
REVIEW (Noise Receptor):
As is the case with the publication of any new release from Inade this is usually reason enough to celebrate, however with reference to the album’s title it is indicative of being the first in a series of archival material. So given that subsequent releases are slated in the ‘Audio Mythology’ series, clearly this is additional reason to celebrate. Regarding ‘Audio Mythology One’, the album consists of eight tracks derived from 2001-2012, with the liner notes revealing that four tracks were released on various compilations, whilst the remaining four were previously unreleased until now. It also seems that tracks have been further mixed, edited and in some cases reworked in bringing these tracks to fruition for this release.
Noting the span of years in which these tracks are derived it is appropriate to reflect on Inade’s modus operandi over their 21 year history. Upon such refection an evident characteristic has been Inade’s inclusion on a significant number of compilations, where submitted tracks have formed important parts of their sonic puzzle and vital stepping stones in the evolution of their music. Ultimately this tells volumes of the commitment of Inade to their craft and is a far cry the attitude of many acts that seem comfortable with using compilations to off load second rate tracks. Thus based on the above circumstances ‘Audio Mythology One’ contains fantastic material and through the further editing, mixing and mastering comes across as a release that is as strong as any of their main ‘official’ albums.
Referencing its scope and style, the collection of tracks which makes up ‘Audio Mythology One’ are very much rooted in the later era of the group and the sound of what Inade do best. That is esoteric mysticism set to sound – emanations from the void which intertwine deep space cosmic tones with otherworldly and occasional orchestral elements. Yet on a more bland descriptive level this can be defined as experimental music which combines aspects of abstract modern classical music with more traditional dark ambient material. Variously the tracks are meticulously composed with sonic elements including: slow wailing of ceremonial horns, deep ritualistic percussive beats, melancholic orchestral elements (strings/ brass), multi-layered and interweaving drones, echoed and abstract metallic/ crystalline/ shimmering sonic textures, disembodied vocals and well-placed dialogue samples to flesh out thematic context.
Across the span of their career Inade have managed to reach spiralling heights through the refinement of the compositional skills and in the process have created a multi-dimensional aural world. Their status is clearly evidenced by their ability to effortlessly evoke archaic and universal vistas of a monolithic scale, which effectively elevates the listener out of a limited human scale perspective. As an overall experience ‘Audio Mythology One’ is exceedingly masterful – transcendent even – and in many ways trying to describe the album merely in context of the sum it its parts does not do it adequate justice. Ultimately Inade’s ‘sonic sculptures’ need to be experienced via full audio immersion (…noting that ‘Audio Mythology One’ has been released in limited edition of 300 vinyl LP/ CD set and unlimited CD for such purposes). Without a doubt ‘Audio Mythology One’ is far more than a mere stop gap release and is another welcome addition to Inade’s discography.
REVIEW (Medienkonverter):
Was das Duo Inade von Beginn an ausgezeichnet hat, war die Ergründung des Metaphysischen in Kombination mit düsterem Ambient. Diese Verknüpfung von Transzendenz und realer Empfindung löst einen besonderen Reiz beim Hörer aus und lässt ihn Inades Musik abtauchen. Jedes Album und jede Zusammenstellung lässt daher aufmerken, nimmt doch diese metaphysische Reise jedes Mal andere Formen an. Mit „Audio Mythology One“ blicken Inade auf die letzte Dekade zurück und bringen rare und bisher unveröffentlichte Tracks zu Gehör. Trotz der Retrospektive gibt es also neue Songs zu hören.
Mit dem Opener „The Engine Of Inferno“ geben Inade ein Stück aus ihrem Liveprogramm preis. Der Song basiert auf den beide Stücken „The Engine Of Space“ und „Abandoned Inferno“ vom letzten Album „The Incarnation Of The Solar Architects“. Wie schon auf dem Album, so wird auch hier Gottfried Benn zitiert (diesmal das Gedicht „Verlorenes Ich“), während nebenbei in den über 10 Minuten Spielzeit tiefe Drones, Fanfaren und später sogar Trommelschläge ebenjenes Inferno zitieren. Mehr als acht Jahre liegen zwischen diesem und dem darauffolgenden, relativ monotonen Track „Metaspheres“, der von der Compilation „The Walls Are Whispering“ aus dem Jahr 2003 stammt. Ebenfalls erstmals auf einer Compilation veröffentlicht wurde „Divine Hybrid“ („A Final Testimony“, 2004), das neben Drones, Piano und Streichern mit einigen Geräuschen und Samples überrascht.
Mit dem bisher unveröffentlichten „Nomina Nuda Tenemus“ springen wir wieder zu „The Incarnation Of The Solar Architects“. Das Material zu dem Song stammt aus den Sessions zum damaligen Album und wartet mit Samples aus „Der Name der Rose“ auf, während eine sich ständig wiederholende Melodie den passenden Hintergrund dazu bildet. Von der 2006er Split-CD mit Anenzephalia und Operation Cleansweep stammt das folgende „Asteroid Probe“, das mit tiefen Drones aufwartet. Eine Besonderheit findet sich in dem ebenfalls bisher unveröffentlichten „Ethos Anthropo Daimon“. Der Song beinhaltet verschiedene RAF-Samples, da er für ein Meinhoff-Projekt gedacht war. „The Ocean Of Fate“ klingt mit seinen düsteren Streichern, mechanischen Geräuschen, Paukenschlägen und dem angedeuteten Ruf eines Vogels und der damit erzeugten, dichten Atmosphäre wie ein Song von einem Soundtrack.
Den Schlusspunkt setzt das von der Compilation „A Tribute To Zdzislaw Beksinski“ stammende „The Tower Of Bones“. Finster, bedrohlich und apokalyptisch klingt dieser Rausschmeißer. Leider ist diese Zusammenstellung damit schon an ihrem Ende angelangt. Wie gern würde man sich jetzt noch weiter verlieren in Inades raum- und zeitlosen Sphären. Wer sich das Album in der LP+CD-Version gesichert hat, der kann das zumindest in abgewandelter Form, denn das Tracklisting der LP unterscheidet sich nicht nur in der Reihenfolge der Tracks, sondern auf der LP wurden die Songs zu zwei Stücken mit je 22 Minuten Spielzeit gemixt. Eine schöne Idee, diese beiden Formate miteinander zu verbinden. Hoffentlich wird das bei der Fortsetzung dieser Archiv-Reihe wieder der Fall sein. „Audio Mythology One“ ist jedenfalls, egal ob als CD oder LP+CD, ein Must-Have.
REVIEW (Kulturterrorismus):
Austauschbar, meine aktuell vorherrschende Meinung im Genre Dark Ambient, wo die Leipziger INADE, obwohl ihres zusammengewürfelten (Studio-) Kehraus, den sie unter dem vielsagenden Namen “Audio Mythology One” in Umlauf bringen, einen wohltuenden Lichtblick bilden, der in vielerlei Hinsicht begeistert.
Selbstverständlich offerieren INADE ihrer eingefleischten Anhängerschaft “Audio Mythology One” in einer limitierten (300 Exemplare) Vinyl Edition, der ebenfalls die CD-Variante beiliegt, die über eine andere Reihenfolge usw. verfügt. PS: Erhältlich über das hauseigene Label L.O.K.I. (Foundation) bzw. den Vertrieb DEEP AUDIO!
Im Rahmen des 16-seitigen Booklets (Wir sprechen über die CD-Version!) erfahren die geneigten Konsumenten (genau) aus welchen Komponenten sich “Audio Mythology One” von INADE zusammensetzt, das (überarbeitete) Samplerbeiträge & unveröffentlichte Tondokumente (aus dem Zeitraum 2002 – 2008) umfasst, welche KNUT ENDERLEIN & RENÉ LEHMANN zu einem packenden Soundtrack “verschraubten”, der einmal mehr die Ausnahmestellung von INADE unterstreicht.
Wessen Herz für die INADE Stücke schlägt, in denen prächtige/ mächtige (z.B. RAF) Sprachsamples “…Was seid ihr? Problem oder Lösung? Mensch oder Schwein?…” (‘Ethos Anthropo Daimon‘) auftauchen, dürfte bei “Audio Mythology One” ins Schwärmen geraten, dessen Atmosphären in verschiedenste Dimensionen “katapultiert”, aber immer mit einem Höchstmaß an Intensität/ Dichte, weshalb das Ganze wie ein Gesamtkunstwerk wirkt bzw. rüberkommt. Insgesamt eine kurzweilige “Resterampe”, die im Gegensatz zu vielen Interpreten berührende Momente eröffnet und nicht träge vor sich hinplätschert – Wahnsinn! Anspieltipp? Wer eigenständige Klasse sucht, findet in “Audio Mythology One” einen perfekten “Unterhalter” vor, welcher auf ganzer Länge die Spannung hochhält und nach dem x-ten Hördurchlauf noch beeindruckt.
Fazit:
Dark Ambient auf aller höchstem Niveau präsentieren INADE mit “Audio Mythology One”, dessen erster Eindruck einer billigen Resterampe ähnelt, der sich (aber) beim konkreten Einstieg in das Gesamtwerk, zu einem atemberaubenden Hörerlebnis wandelt – meine absolute Empfehlung!