E.S.A. - The Hold

ESA should certainly not be a stranger to anyone in either the rhythmic noise or industrial fields by now. In more recent years heaps of critical praise have been poured onto Jamie Blacker's solo project thanks to his groundbreaking Themes of Carnal Empowerment Trilogy which released in 2012, 2013, and 2015 respectively. 2017 sees another movement; recently being signed to the ever growing Negative Gain Productions, ESA is about to unveil their latest four track EP The Hold. While not a full album, this should tide fans over until the release of 2017's full length album which is set to release later this year.

Either way, the titular track of the EP kicks off the album and rather than getting into the club stomping rhythmic noise ESA has become very well known for, we're treated to a tribal, folk like song that would well fit in the realm of Game of Thrones of even the Lord of the Rings. Percussion still slams in at a slower pace, battle horns resonate within the track, and a constant chattering light drum persists. It's not until late in the song that we get a familiar ESA style as some electronics take over for the final quarter of the track. But even then the track never loses its high fantasy flair. 

Jamie Blacker didn't just stop at making an epic musical piece for 'The Hold', but he also tapped into vocalist Valeriia Moon of the Ukranian metal band Aftermoon. Her delicate yet empowering voice carried throughout the track and equally matched the handsome arrangement. Her humming, singing, and overall essence was a necessary part of 'The Hold' to make the song as poetic as it comes.

The second track on the EP 'In Good Faith' found itself going back to roots with ESA's traditional style. While rummaging into a tribal foray early on in the song with a fantastic build up and lots of gritty ambient texture, passing the three minute mark saw all those sounds combine into a technically wondrous rhythmic noise theme. While those two tracks marked the end of the original mixes, they certainly got me pumped for ESA's next release.

Two remixes of 'The Hold' come along on the EP with the first done by iVardensphere. Not content to just remix a song, iVardensphere also extended the length of the track and turned it into a nearly unidentifiable song all on its own. Moon's vocals are much more visceral to start off with, but eventually come to the sensational breath I learned of earlier. Middle eastern influences, a much more tribal touch, and a little more than an extra minute and a half was added on to this mix. Again, it doesn't really seem so much a remix as it does its own beast. 

Not to be outdone on his own album, however, ESA did an in-house mix of 'The Hold' which extended the track even further lasting nearly ten minutes. A tighter focus on electronic rhythm and shots of synthetic noise matched the ferocity of the percussion. Once again, Moon's voice shined right through the song as well. This mix made the track much more stomp worthy, but the beauty of it never faded. 

Though currently unavailable, you should definitely keep your eye out for when The Hold hits digital retailers.There is even a music video scheduled to release very, very shortly that was made in conjunction with the Grim North Theater company and Mills Bratash. So keep your eyes and ears open for when that video drops as well! Two thumbs up for ESA!
Feb 13 2017