seven

come to think of it, it has been almost 10 years since jeux de terre came out on tesco in 1993. it was my first vromb album, but i was hooked only after i heard périmètre. it is interesting to notice how in past three years vromb's ideology got fully developed, becoming an integral part of the music. this complex and incredibly appealing conceptualism rises to the level where it becomes a part of an overall aesthetics, continuously developed by hugo himself and bio-z, responsible for the graphic representation.

recent live appearances of vromb at maschinenfest02 as well as mutek festivals prove the universal quality of its music - dark and meditative, slowly building intensity, a combination of abrasiveness and purity, contrast of analog and electronic elements, constant presence of vibrating, tense atmosphere that finds its only release in the form of minimal streamlined percussion, augmented with oscillating frequencies. vromb combines refined aesthetics of minimalism with very visceral drive of its rhythms. this dichotomy creates the depth that works immediately on almost subconscious level. as you keep listening, the atmosphere slowly unfolds, enveloping you, emerging out of incessantly repetitive drones and pulses that slowly morph and change throughout the track.

le tourne-disque appeared in both 3" cd and 10" vinyl format (obviously, I would recommend getting the vinyl, just for the cover art). three tracks presented are geared more towards live performances and would appeal to those that enjoyed interlüder and episodes more than his acoustic mémoires paramoléculaires.

if you have been a vromb fan for a while, you won't find anything new on this record, but, as usual with his material, I would be the first in line to get the latest work.