Wordclock - Endless

Endless is the debut album of Portuguese ambient act Wordclock. This is a minimalist, back-to-basics dark ambient record whose captivating soundscapes ably construct worlds within worlds for the listener to explore.

The album opens with It Aint a Bad Place, which is a blissful foray into substratal drone territory, grounded by the distant thump of the track's heartbeat and a purring single-note bassline. There is an emphasis on the calming effect of running water on the soothing It's Late; it's so relaxing that it could be appreciated by people who are into meditation. In fact, much of this album is probably suitable for use in a meditation session due to the spacy and contemplative atmosphere it creates.

Les Portes du Silence, while mellow, is a darker sounding track that introduces a more ominous mix of textures, including what sounds like ambling metronomic footsteps and distorted whispering. Hushed piano and excerpts of distant conversations are the order of the day on the title track, and taken together, these elements bear a stark similarity to certain parts of the original Ghost in the Shell film. Deeper is a similar track in that regard as it too conveys a sombre mood with its jarring strings and bubbling sounds that could well be boiling lava, finishing with a slab of white noise. Then arrives The Night - a sprawling and dense catacomb of sound that truly lives up to its name.

Endless is an effective record that is ingeniously constructed, using a decidedly low-key approach to creating powerful dark ambient tracks. Subdued and forceful at the same time, this is one sonic journey that will remain with you for some time to come.
Oct 30 2014