Haunting, eerie, and in places heart-stoppingly beautiful,
The Lathe of Heaven is an album that defies easy definition. Rich, textured, multi-layered soundscapes abound, littered with the wreckage of industrial machinery. Waves of melody wash over this jagged foundation, strings real and sampled and entirely synthetic. At the heart of all this lies, somewhat incongruously, one man with an acoustic guitar. It's an unusual approach, and one that pays off spectacularly well.
The album opens in a floaty, ethereal kind of way, synth melodies yielding to a sampled, looped, almost hypnotic sound, before the drums kick in for
Disconnected, which has a much harder, heavier feel. It's similar to Clint Mansell's work on Pi and Requiem for a Dream, especially the discordant drum breakdown towards the end of the track. The next two songs are wonderfully melodic, strings entwined with crunching drums, synth and flutes and folk-rock vocals. Standout track
Sleep in Dead Time brings something new to the table with every listen, throwing crashing beats in where they're least expected, underscoring the guitar melody to great effect.
It gets somewhat darker from this point in.
Black Ice is a bleak slab of noise, littered with odd samples and disconcerting sounds. The drums build up really well across the next couple of tracks, infecting
No World Outside with a wonderfully stripped-down groove. The title track slows things down perhaps a little too much, running to six minutes and comprising mainly voice-distorted movie samples. It's a minor complaint, however, as the album ends on two beautiful acoustic numbers reminiscent of Radiohead at their best.
It's hard to believe that this album is largely the work of one man. Derek Rush is the core of
Dream Into Dust, singing, playing both bass and acoustic guitar, manipulating sounds and laying down samples. He collaborates here with experimental guitarist Bryin Dall, twisting and distorting electric guitar beyond all recognition. The album also features the talents of Eddy Malave, responsible for the wonderful viola and violin work which underpins much of the album.
Overall,
The Lathe of Heaven is nothing short of stunning. Despite the experimental approach and unconventional structure, the album is surprisingly accessible. The production is absolutely spot-on, stripped right back at points to expose the raw talent on display here. The album is a fine piece of work, darkly majestic and deliciously complicated. For anyone with a taste for music out of the ordinary, this is a must-have.
The Lathe of Heaven is out now on Chthonic Streams.
www.dreamintodust.com
