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CD Feature/ N.Strahl.N: "Mindscreen"

  Tobias

After listening to “Mindscreen”, it is even harder to believe that N Strahl N once published albums with titles like “Maschinenrepublik” (“Republic of Machines”) or “Rostromantik” (“Romance of Rust”). Not that his music hasn’t always been weary of all-too-easy categorisation and displayed an interest in diverse styles and a pleasant degree of experimentation, but the aesthetics of his previous records made it easy to file him in the industrial and noise corner. With “Mindscreen”, he has emancipated himself from both.

And that is a pretty remarkable achievment for a release which comes as a one-track EP running for a mere 24 minutes. It is interesting to note that the wonderfully packaged 3’’ disc on brown cardboard with an additional layer of heavy paper depicting a TV set glued on to it for a nice three-dimensional effect, arrives at a time, when some people were arguing about the extensive length of some of his tracks (including, ahem, myself): Even though “Mindscreen” may have a considerable duration for a single piece, it is divided into four concise and clearly seperated segments each with its own identity, which in themselves are again subject to change and transformations. Starting from a very open and almost relaxed soundscape, with a high degree of field recording characteristics, it runs through various stages, including a hypnotic sequence with a dry bass tone being repeated ad infinitum and several layers of drones slowly rubbing themselves into a dangerous holler. It is very much picture music, with a vast deepness to it, which swallows the listener entirely. At the same time, however, is is never overly imposing or claustrophobic, like walking around in a bizarre landscapes underneath an open sky, void of recognisable life, but full of alien insectoids and murmering plants and fungi.

If there is an industrial theme going on here, it is one which goes back to the very first pioneers of the genre and to to a critical stance towards our commercialis society as well as to the question of how one can remain human in it. There is an anti-TV concept running through this as well, with the main slogan being to “just turn it off”. Instead of becoming all too philosophical or morally dogmatic about this, the EP offers a practical alternative: Instead of wasting your time with silly game shows or talent bug hunts, you could so much better invest in listening to “Mindscreen”.

By Tobias Fischer

Homepage: N.Strahl.N
Homepage: N.Strahl.N at MySpace