It is difficult to review something like this, as it exists in a very personal realm for both the artists and the listener. Just as the album itself is an exchange between Ivan and Sleazy, listening to it has been an exchange between my own subconscious and the musical manifestation of SoiSong's.
"Mystery" is my best word to describe this project, which seems to whistle at an experience beyond the music itself. Unlike with COIL and their manifesto, SoiSong has thrown us no bones as far as revealing their intentions. The website, the photographs, the passwords, the obscure album title--everything screams "puzzle" to me. If this is some kind of highly polished ARG, it blows Trent Reznor's Year Zero campaign out of the water.
When I received my "sample" of xAj3z in the mail, it was contained in a large plastic bag, complimenting the idea of it being some sort of lab specimen. Getting it out of this plastic bag was the first challenge, the second was opening it without tearing the beautiful and delicate origami case. This took me quite a few minutes to figure out and confirmed my puzzle theory, at least to myself.
The packaging is remarkable, very elegant and tasteful. Opening it reveals a glossy foldout with a photo of Peter and Ivan as women on one side, and a passage of encrypted text on the other. The text was designed by Ivan and made into a typeface by Peter, with the hope that one day it would be legible. Alas, more mysteries for us eager fans to uncover.
1. Amkhapaa - The album begins quietly, softly stepping out of silence with a gentle echoing piano melody. Slowly it starts to build; vibes enter and interweave, ambient noises creep into the background, the melody sinks lower, the bass rumbles in. At certain points the song moves back towards silence and when it reaches it everything comes back, stronger than before.
2. T-Hu Ri Toh - The second track begins on the same notes as the first, only at lower tone, creating a seamless bridge. However, instead of slowly building it launches into a quick, carnivalesque piano melody that feels like its bouncing around in your ears. This melody rotates with the ambient chimes, bringing them to the center while it continues in the background. The song rotates throughout, each time bringing back a deeper and slightly more distorted piano.
This is the first track to feature one of Sleazy's trademark voices, singing in what I assume to be Thai. The melody comes in behind it, and they dance together until everything once again moves towards silence, softer, quieter, and then--BOOM!--the drums unfold from beneath, creating an extremely dramatic effect. Towards the end a second, higher pitched voice comes in and both begin chanting the track title, "T-Hu Ri Toh," a pattern I began to notice on the rest of the songs.
3. J3z - This starts off with a near-jazz melody, although few sounds on this album fit any genre. Mechanical CoH-esuque drums kick in, followed by a beautiful synth melody and the accompaniment of several beeps and bleeps. Again, this track follows a similar formula of breaking down and then bursting back, creating a duality between noise and ambiance.
4. Mic Mo - Starts with guitar but then dissolves into an amazing, dreamlike sound that lulls under a child singing, "Mic Mo, Mic Mo." There is silence, a heartbeat, and then again it all comes crashing back like a tidal wave of sound. My favorite part of the song is when the guitar returns for the second time in a highly distorted, COIL-esque voice, sounding gorgeously eerie.
5. Paer Tahm - Much more centered on vocals, again at one point repeating the track title, "Paer Tahm" over and over. I'm sure, however, that you could hear track titles repeated in all songs, these just happen to be the only words I can recognize. During one of the breakdowns a child's voice and the backing ambiance create a brilliant mesh of sound that conjures memories of the film Akira. This is one of my favorite moments on the album.
6. Dtorumi - My absolute favorite track. Starts with a hum, then a beat, some delightful ambient noises, and finally one the greatest spooky loops I have ever heard. It sounds like ghosts crying. When the full drums come in...Fuck, I'm listening to it now and its absolutely orgasmic (perhaps its the Adderall).
7. Ti-Di-Ti Naoo - This one sounds almost like a lullaby, a sad goodbye and thanks for listening from SoiSong. It's probably my least favorite track, not because I think its bad but rather because I find trouble identifying with the emotion. It is beautiful though--very peaceful, like staring out the window on a rainy day. Each sound and feeling is so rich and distinct, yet they all resonates perfectly together.
xAj3z is freedom from the mundane. It is the hidden beauty that stares us right in the face and dares us to recognize it. There is nothing generic about its sound, each melody carries its own personality, its own indefinable emotion. To the surface dweller this can be a casual experience, but those who delve a bit deeper will uncover, piece by piece, the hidden revelations that SoiSong has packaged for us.
To me, SoiSong is an open invitation, a chance for us to join Sleazy and Ivan in their international musical endeavors. They have maintained a very open relationship with their fans, and in my opinion this is a critical aspect of what this project is all about. Should I choose to I may correspond with the them via their MySpace, meet them at one of their live performances, or even purchase their stuff in the form of a "memory box." SoiSong is selling an experience to those who are willing to buy it. They have done little to market themselves and seem to rely entirely on the dedication of their acquired fans. Few artists could sell a 7 track album for $35, but they have done it, and done it well.
As their website states, "this area is in expansion," it is rampantly growing ;-) and while it has manifested as xAj3z for the moment, who knows what it will ultimately become. Concepts aside, this is a brilliant piece of music and I recommend it anyone with a desire for something new. While it won't strip down for you the first time you hear it, with a little patience its subtle beauty will begin to unfold.
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