Autumn Winds Productions : 2009
Format : CD

Roto Visage is the Dark Ambient project of one Jason Popejoy. I’ve followed his releases for several years now and even released a split on my own DFR imprint. In the early days, he basically gave his creations away, making them available for free online. Although that’s commendable, I think people, myself included, will overlook good music when it’s given to them making the assumption that if it’s free, it must be shit. To my knowledge this is the first proper CD release for RV and deserving of such. This project has matured by leaps and bounds.

The album hangs somewhere in the balance of traditional Dark Ambient soundscapes and spacey, sci-fi imagery. The opener, “Uproot, A Noose Of Silk” would be at home on in late 60’s, early 70’s space epic. Long passages of cold depth suddenly jarred by the blast of electronic horn as the technology we’ve placed our faith in suddenly turns on us. This merges seamlessly into “Willows Deep” as the distant communiqué of robotic entities drift through the atmosphere. The angular loop of bells fills the void on “Visceral Monologue” as the empty swirl of black ebbs and flows like thick fog down the halls of an alien cathedral. Once again we almost miss the transition into “Interlude: The Death Of Kotzwara” noticing only the emergence of gentle strings and keys over the clicking of robotic fingers somewhere in the distance.

“Sickly Sweet Fertilizer” takes us down a more sinister path as echoing hums bounce down metal halls. The whir and click of zeros and ones as the synthesized Pinocchio dreams of being a real boy. A sample of poetry begins “A Breath, Then It Comes”, our first glimpse that indeed something human holds the reins. Watery pulses grow and recede in liquid light. Another ominous entry begins with “Aural Cavity Obstruction”. Sound as a saw, wet pulses of near noise burrow and retract. The disc ends with “Light Rejection, The Return”, a 12+ minute opera of android construct. Subtle orchestration loops over strange samples that disintegrates into a mechanized frenzy, a fitting closure.

This one is far from your typical Dark Ambient drivel. I really did enjoy the journey. Housed in a beautiful 6-panel digipak, this is by far the best offering to date from Roto Visage. Limited to 1000 copies and highly recommended.

Websites: rotovisage.com | myspace.com/rotovisage