Taking a plunge into an ocean of noise can be equally cathartic and rejuvenating as when doing the same in concrete context and into actual water, and even more so at times. Floating along the currents and existing only at that very spot for the time being, is crucial for the soul, I think. We live in a world of cacophony and perennial disasters, but also in a world of beauty and positive contrasts, and whether through music or any other means available and best suited for you, focusing on the latter is necessary to avoid sinking too far down into the void.
However perverse it may sound, I find my peace and quiet in darker things that can often be seen as the contrary, but I’m not alone in that, and that is precisely why you are here with me today; to enjoy the grating experimental drone noise/dark ambient conjured by The Mercury Impulse. The duo consisting of Mark Solotroff and JR Robinson are releasing their new album Records of Human Behavior on August 23, and today I’m glad to bring you the premiere for the song “I Heard The Earth Falling” off of it. So, without further nonsense, take the chafing dive into The Mercury Impulse‘s disorienting realm from below;
A site regular may recall that I recently had Mark Solotroff as our Weekly Featured Artist and wrote a premiere for his solo work, so it should come as no a surprise that I wanted to jump on The Mercury Impulse wagon the second I saw his name attached to it, but was only further sold when noticing that JR Robinson of the Wrekmeister Harmonies fame is the other half of the project. As you can tell from the song above, the collaboration of these two titans shouldn’t – nor could it – be taken lightly. Solotroff provided some insight to the track at hand;
‘While JR and I were working on this album, he had a quote in mind by Marshall McLuhan, but not that old chestnut that’s everyone’s favorite go-to. This one’s more pertinent when it comes to how JR and I talk about our lives and the world we live in and how we approached recording this album and how we envisioned sharing it publicly. This one states, “One of the effects of living with electric information is that we live habitually in a state of information overload. There’s always more than you can cope with.” As we recorded, edited, and mixed this album, we agreed not to overdo it with zillions of layers of sound… of information. We wanted to give our songs some space for listeners to move through… float through. We were also aligned on striving for spontaneity. When I asked JR why this song ends so abruptly – because I notoriously build long fade-ins and fade-outs into my solo recordings – he explained that it’s a reflection of the way we think. We go from one thought to the next and these thoughts end abruptly and we move on. I was sold on the hard stop. We also agree that humanity has a history of being confused and deceived by whatever faith we embrace at any given moment in time. An aspect of our current era is how people will embrace the newest technological advancement because we are positive it will provide relief from any existential dilemma we face. “I Heard the Earth Falling” is the sound of opposing truths and their corresponding lies colliding over and over again.‘
The shroud of abrasive noise on “I Heard The Earth Falling” merely masks the heavily emotive and strong synth bass lines carrying the song forward, painting a tapestry of its own and adding new type of hues and details on every new listen. While at first sight the six-minute track can be viewed as first and foremost a noisier effort, there are distinct tones that come and go, effectively carrying it forward without regressing into a state anywhere near a static. All frequencies are put to use whether through these more aerial tones mentioned above or the at times excruciatingly ponderous wash of tonal din and clamour, as The Mercury Impulse keeps pushing the listener deeper and deeper into the unwelcoming yet oddly captivating and satisfactory territory of their making. This is magnificent work, and I can’t wait to delve into the full album.
Records of Human Behavior is out on August 23, and can be pre-ordered from The Mercury Impulse‘s Bandcamp page. Do it, and you won’t regret it.
Promo photo by Elena Solotroff
