Different Selves is a core addition to the stack of last semester’s highlights, thus, as my newsfeed confronted me to share my best 2016 albums so far, I couldn’t help but think of this one as an (im)possible candidate. Since it does not carry the current year’s stamp, as of being out that twelfth month that does a chart no justice, those stated above could only count as a de facto estimation.
Shapednoise acts like an outlet for deep-humming transcendental awe and post-industrial, foggy “darkness meditation”, highly relying on its slow pounding irregular beats hitting your essential nervous distribution board without a notice.
The human accountable to shape the noise on Different Selves is Nino Pedone, one of the busiest composers around Italy’s faction of crunchy post-industrial with an edge. Shapednoise’s ever-refining sound is thus emblematic of the surefire rejuvenation of the raw and mindful industrial sound, of which Italy has became a central player. His work as label manager and A&R for Repitch Records and Cosmo Rhythmatic unearths uncanny attempts that toggle mind-body-spirit by means of DIY psychosomatic noise.
The presence of Justin K. Broadrick on the opening track gives a very intuitive hint to the law of correspondences. Not just because Broadrick’s post-human noise project JK Flesh is one logical compatible, but the effects of this album on actual emotion can remotely evoke that deep-cutting insight of Broadrik’s work as doom heavyweight Jesu.
Different Selves feels as self-complementary and soul-glitching as if those different selves colliding are by Jung’s law a strange case of realising one’s whole self is being someone else’s perfect, utmost Shadow.
Tracklist:
A1. Enlightenment (feat. Justin K. Broadrick)A2. Intruder
A3. Dream Within A Dream
A4. Well-Being
B1. Travels In The Universe Of The Soul
B2. What Is It Like?
B3. Heart-Energy-Shape
B4. The Man From Another Place
B5. Escalation