CURRENT 93

"Aleph At Hallucinatory Mountain"

Coptic Cat - 2009

CD

If you attended one of Current 93's latest concerts, you've surely noticed that a lot has changed in their sound. Left behind the classic acoustic profile of "apocalyptic folk", David Tibet has now embraced a powerful electric dimension, making his now 26-years old creature resemble a psychedelic colossus from the 70s', and, at times, a modern avantgarde doom metal project as well. Being this the result of his frequentations with Sunn O))) and the like or not , it's anyway time for something completely new and different again. Be ready then for a journey full of surprises.

The original idea behind "Aleph At Hallucinatory Mountain" is that of an ancient Coptic text, translated by Tibet himself and here presented with some little personal adjustments. The lyrics are reproduced inside the rich booklet as a whole, suggesting the idea of a strong concept album that has to be listened in its entirety to be understood and fully appreciated. We are probably in front of the first album in which David's faith in this particular branch of Christianity is so evident, nonetheless it's easy to spot a few images we've got to know very well through the years: fields of rape, scarlet girl, Thelemic flowers... they fit pretty well in the new cosmology.

Musically speaking, it's from the very first minutes that the listener is run over by shaking electric riffs, served by an amazing squadron of guitar players, including James Blackshaw, Matt Sweeney, Andrew W.K. and Keith Wood. Add Alex Neilson's drums, Ossian Brown's synth and Andrew Liles' electronics, and you get a prefect modern psychedelic / kraut band! However, actually, half of the album parts from this new trend, looking back at the classic sound, but with a sort of exotic, far Eastern approach in the strings and acoustic elements. It's the case of "Poppyskins", or of the fantastic, crepuscular "UrShadow", the CD's highlights, sure to be loved by the most skeptical C93 fans too. A special mention deserves final "As Real As Rainbows", delicate, fragile, recorded quite low to increase the feeling of evanescence, much like that of a rainbow: in this beautiful closing elegy, based on organ and piano, the leading voice is that of Sasha Grey, the increasingly famous US porn actress, model and singer, also active in the bizarre noise / dub project Atelecine.

"Aleph At Hallucinatory Mountain" will be definitely appreciated by the most open-minded fans of Current 93, whereas the more traditional followers of the apocalyptic folk season will probably like the episodes without electric guitars only. Anyway, this is a brave effort for David Tibet to move once again onto new territories, and, why not, a different audience as well.

- Simon V.

Website: http://www.durtro.com

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

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