Pelagic Records releases Alter, a collaborative project by Electronic and primordial pioneer Lustmord and the haunting emotional vocals of Karin Park of the band Årabrot. Brian Williams was raised in North Wales. He formed Lustmord as far back as 1980, quickly becoming a pivotal figure in the early Industrial music scene. After working on his own and other people’s projects, he moved to Los Angeles in 1993, where he worked on many movie soundtracks – including The Crow, and Underworld. He has also worked on video games, TV scores and solo albums. He has collaborated with The Melvins, Tool, John Balance of Coil, Paul Haslinger of Tangerine Dream, and others. Solo artist and member of Årabrot, Karin Park is the multiple winner of Norway’s Spellemann Award, and co-writer of the Norwegian entry for 2013’s Eurovision Song Contest (finishing fourth). She is known for her darkly rich compositions. Alter is described as a ritual of our times...

The tracklist is: 'Hiraeth', 'The Void Between', 'Perihelion', 'Twin Flames', 'Entwined', 'Kindred', 'Song of Sol' and 'Sele'.

Karin Park’s vocals create an ambient and atmospheric effect, backed by keyboards and other Electronica. Resonance slowly builds for her voice to slowly come forward. It is at this point you realise the album is much more about soundscape than conventional song music. Ominous deep resonance is periodically applied, along with whispered voices. It only takes four of the eight tracks to realise this is all very similar and disappointingly dull. With offerings lasting seven, nine or even eleven minutes long, it makes you wonder what mileage can be obtained from these basic sounds. With vocal sounds floating over the top of what is essentially background material, Karin’s vocal talents are woefully underutilised.

Dripping water, wind and a minor rushing sound constitutes… not very much, really. And Karin Park supplies the same mystical vocals for nearly every track. Lots of bass noise, rumbling and other occasional sounds such as added organ make you feel as if you’re listening to a soundtrack rather than a band’s music album. The structure which is probably the most suited to Karin’s voice comes in 'Song of Sol', although the entirety of the experience makes this album less than interesting when, with more variation, it could have been bright and original.

4

Ty Power