ALLGRENA

"Ursprung"

Erdgut - 2009

CD

Ten years have passed since we last heard from Franz Nigl, aka Allgrena, elusive noise-maker from Vienna. Some of you might remember him because of his participation to the 7" sampler "Wo Die Wilden Kerle Wohnen", together with more popular fellow citizens Allerseelen, Der Blutharsch and Novy Svet. The first CD, "Tonräder", was released in 1999, and only now comes its follow up, "Ursprung". Already from the first track, you realize that a large improvement has been made since the minimal and interlocutory noise ambient of the origins: sounds and noises are very well recorded, and there are also instruments like flute, violin and guitar, treated and played inside particular environments that enhance and transform them, as well as Franz's own deep and ghostly voice.

If in some tracks the atmospheric and ambient profile still emerges (it's the case of the title-track, or of the excellent "Wiederkehr", a real Decalogue of ambient music for inside of factories and squeaking machines), most of the album definitely shifts upon the song structure, with rhythmic, powerful and highly involving compositions. The distorted bass, coupled with sinister feedback and grave vocals of "Wachsende Ringe" clearly show that things have changed a lot in Allgrena's steel-grey universe, and the titanic percussions of "Ursprung's Flamme" just confirm the first impression. The best is offered by the railway noises, electro beats and disturbing, distorted melodies of "Die Letzte Zierate", "Ein Eiskalter Hauch" and "Erdgut", close to Allerseelen's "Sturmlieder", but definitely more articulated and multi-faced. Outstanding are also the quasi-Ant-Zen rhythms of "Hier Auf Erden" and the closing "Traumlicht", between tingling bells and sinister reverberations.

An excellent CD, that you are very likely to listen with pleasure in its full running time, despite its gloomy and heavy sonorities. The artist is self-producing himself since the very beginning, deserving for this reason too our unconditional support.

- Simon V.

Website: http://www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a8727063/Allgrena

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/allgrena