Distorted Memory - Temple Of The Black Star

It was expected to see Jeremy Pillipow move in the direction of Witch House - even if this album release touches the very guidelines of the genre, the elements are crisp and obvious - hell, the remixers are a heap of well known WH acts - even one by Jeremy himself (more on that later).

With "Temple", not only has a growing aesthetic been embraced, but this secondment to a newer "post-" genre looks to be something quite magickal (sic).

This release is two things - It's an experiment into the droning, hypnotic world of "Drag". It's also one solid piece of music, split over nine tracks and 40 minutes. To listen to this as individual tracks simply kills the entire concept - "Temple" starts as one track and segues into eight more, each of the remixers altering the track into their own pragmatic dischords. It's ritual as fuck, and it's right where Witch House has always needed to be.

"First Movement" opens with an eastern sounding wind instrument (likely the Panpipe), and it has a sound similar to the montage you get in an American Kickboxing film when the protagonist is training. Joking aside, it leads into some beautiful acoustics, falling into a gorgeous Neofolk/Witch House/Ambient hybrid. "Temple of the Black Star" is a gorgeous soundtrack to meditate to - it's inspired and delicate, but it also has undertones of a darker, more progressive style of music which will go on to influence oh so many.

The "Second" movement is performed by freakishly popular act "∆Aimon". Known for their two EPs, both of which are considered among the top of the Witch House movement, this extension of the track gives the release more of a 'ritual' feel. It goes completely tribal, and the feelings this creates are something quite spectacular.

"V▲lh▲ll" and "M‡rc▲ll▲" progress the release in the vein of their recent work, and it gets louder and a little heavier - with Valhall in particular, I always felt that the idea was to be able to recreate a Viking battle with the music, and this is something they've got increasingly better at.

"Deathaus" is Jeremys own side-project (which we earlier touched upon), and in turn with the direction of the release so far, the number is returned to its ambient origins, and builds up slowly to an epic, crowning moment of glory.

Throughout the release, each movement shows us another way of providing penance to a higher power; such are the emotions released through the sound, and at the final moments of this confident undertaking, Ben Arp's reinvented "C/∆/T" take the final remnants of air out of the listeners lungs, leaving a silent gasp that hangs in the air for eternity - which to me is what good Witch House should always do.

Acceptant of Distorted Memory's direction for this release, one thing simply has to be said. This has moved the goalposts. Aug 19 2012