Supersilent

8

Label: Rune Grammofon Country: Norway

"Supersilent celebrate 10 years as a groundbreaking quartet with their first studio album in almost 5 years, the eighth release in their series. This band refuses categorization, with experiments in such disparate elements as ambient, jazz, electronica, rock, techno, noise and musique concréte. As with Supersilent 6, 8 was recorded during a 5-day studio session at all-analog facility, Athletic Sound in Halden, Norway. From the monumental hardcore blizzard storm of 1-3, to the elegant electro-jazz of 4, and from the quiet soundscapes of 5, to the epic 6, Supersilent have yet again re-invented themselves with an album that to a certain degree explores more abstract and mysterious pathways beyond category and comparisons. The 68 minutes that ended up on 8 was chosen from 5 hours of finished music, and at one time the group considered a double or even triple album. The album has been mastered by U.S. mastering guru, Bob Katz in close collaboration with producer Deathprod, and it's been handled almost like classical music to keep the extremely dynamic range of the original recording. Again, the names of the players do not appear on the cover. This is Supersilent music, collective work, group improvising, and not a matter of individual grandstanding. They never rehearse as a group and don't discuss the music with each other, meeting only to play concerts or to record. Supersilent music lives in a no-man's-land between the genres, somewhere between rock, electronica, jazz and modern composition. Needless to say, there are no overdubs."-Run Grammofon

"A word that is not unfamiliar to those who have encountered Supersilent is "intense." If this was a one word review, it would be just that. However, blessed with a relatively unlimited word count I can go into the required detail. Anyone familiar with Supersilent will know that the idea of intensity is always key to their power. What form this intensity takes depends on their mood when they walk into the studio, for 8 it is an almost violent, heavy vibe that rumbles through the album. The queasy synth and lurching rhythms that opens the album brings to mind the nauseous live jams of Throbbing Gristle. From the second it starts it is obvious that the world's favourite Norwegians are back and they are taking no prisoners and leaving no survivors."-John Kealy, Brainwashed