Review Summary: A pleasant IDM foray morphs into something far darker.
After specialising in a slightly more conventional techno style, it’s perhaps a bizarre move that Minnesotan producer Lonefront should make his physical debut on a more sinister, experimental note. Opening with a simple hi-hat pattern and seemingly arbitrary drums (bearing resemblance to a simulated conga, or steel drum), Lonefront seems content to play around with few components (perhaps owing to its improvisational nature) - as time progresses, ominous swells, buzzing, and lower register taps trade secondary roles, yet nothing particularly detracts from its enjoyable yet decidedly synthetic nature. Eventually, one finds themselves settling nicely into proceedings, happy
enough but a little concerned at its perceived lack of direction.
Around the 15-minute mark, however,
Cimilada Qaxootiga comes into its own. Hitherto, while certain fragments throughout offered unsettling glimpses towards its future, the sound was clean. In contrast, as ‘Side A’ reaches its climax, granular tones and distorted waves pump life into the ‘machine’ with uncomfortable results; the arbitrariness that made the first half feel so robotic suddenly is the creator of unease, and its increase in volume feels very natural, taking listener by the scruff of the neck and forcing them to take everything in. ‘Side B’, the far shorter of the two, serves as a continuation of these developments (practically picking up where ‘Side A’ leaves off) into
Cimilada Qaxootiga’s ‘animation’, although this is achieved in a less boisterous manner. While not retreating into the more robotic, starker tones of the album’s opening stretch, we see Lonefront dial the aforementioned erratic qualities back; for the first time, and arguably only time in its 38-minute appearance, we get an anchor of predictability to hold onto. That said, this is overcast by an ever-cresting swell, building in intensity like a horror movie’s big finale – and then a fade to black. The 'predictability' acts more like a heartbeat, though whether or not it's that of the listener or the monster is a matter of perspective. What started out as a pleasant IDM foray finished as a looming brick of atmosphere - a stunning effort.
