Flint Glass / Polarlicht 4.1 / Transistor - Zoran's Equation

In 1968, a story called "The Ice People" by Rene Barjavel which chronicled the discovery of a nine-hundred thousand year old civilization was first published. Contained within it's plot was the finding of two individuals in suspended animation one of whom when revived possessed vast knowledge which could provide limitless energy and food for all of humanity, the other was the scientist who along with his ilk spawned the massive Armageddon hinted at throughout the pages. So with all of this background now in place, France's Flint Glass and Germany's Polarlicht 4.1/Transistor provide us with a possible film score for this dystopian tome. Beware the symbol of this collaboration, it will show you things which you'd rather not know.

The main thing to take away from this album is how remarkably well it captures the sensation of the subterranean topography the book is largely set within, it's very dark and has an extremely dank tone to it. Flint Glass is renowned for his ability to compose visceral, Lovecraftian songs that are drenched in fantastical, horrific and headily morbid shades of electronics. I have not heard Polarlicht 4.1 or Transistor before but what he brings I can tell is a larger usage of abrasive noises and jarring, poisonous percussive stabs. I find this pairing to be more interesting than the one which Flint Glass did with Telepherique a couple of years back because it has a tightly focused narrative and also finds both artists seamlessly combining their styles, not holding anything back from total artistic abandon. The image of DNA strands spiraling into a fused creation is about how this one comes together, it is a glistening organic creation despite it's usage of cold, digital synthetics.

"Ils sont là ! Ils sont nous ! Ils ont repeuplé le monde, et ils sont aussi cons qu'avant, et prêts à faire de nouveau sauter la baraque. C'est pas beau, ça ? C'est l'homme !"

As a species, we're not ones to learn from our mistakes nor are we destined to achieve any end besides our own destruction. The only thing which will remain is the symbol which has been manipulated on the cover of "Zoran's Equation". Perhaps the weathering of ancient rocks is the setting, or it may just be their unchanging, silent faces which tell the tale in a mute lament of endless regret... limitless recrimination. May 02 2011