After the critical acclaim of their ‘Neon City’ EP, ‘Pale Ravine’ is the long awaited full-length realization of Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland’s musical ideals. Taking up where ‘Neon City’ left off with it’s epic sound collages and textural soundscapes, ‘Pale Ravine’ manages to provide a sound altogether more Lynchian and grimly cinematic. Using influences from further back in their lives, the two Norwegian musicians have looked deep into their own family histories to piece together a dusty and nostalgic epic.Inspired by old silent 8mm film reels, the historical architecture around them and the call of the alluring Norwegian landscape, the duo set out armed with microphones to record whatever they could to capture these feelings. Sounds from battered old records, cash registers, broken machines and a half-dead piano were all blended into the mix to add a warm, homely depth to the recordings. These sounds are most evident in the track ‘Loft’, where knocks and wooden creaks give an almost claustrophobic feel to the music. Again on ‘The Clearing’ a subtle field recording gives the track a rich and involving background and helps build up the mysterious aura before launching a skewed 1930s circus-waltz.

One of the most stand-out influences on ‘Pale Ravine’ is theatre, or at least the romance of all things theatrical. Not so much theatre in all its pretentious excesses, but the childhood apprehensiveness and the sinister undercurrents. From the muffled ticket booth ambience of ‘Lobby’ to the solemn dance of ‘White Lake’ it all appears draped in thick billowing velvet. The dense narrative technique the duo employs is almost like a reverse to a silent film –the soundtrack is provided to be accompanied by the imaginative visuals of the listener.

‘Pale Ravine’ is an album which again manages to blend elements of classical music with electronic music, yet there is something decidedly different which sets it apart from the competition. While there are elements that can be compared with contemporaries such as Max Richter, Marsen Jules or Ryan Teague – Deaf Center is altogether more other-worldly, darker and ultimately very rewarding.

Tracklisting:
1 Lobby (3:01)
2 Thread (3:39)
3 White Lake (6:35)
4 Path To Lucy (4:54)
5 Stone Beacon (3:29)
6 Weir (6:34)
7 Loft (4:15)
8 Thunder Night (4:28)
9 Lamp Mien (3:58)
10 The Clearing (4:13)
11 Fog Animal (4:24)
12 Eloy (2:15)

Label: Type Records
Catalog#: TYPE 009
Format: CD
Country: UK
Credits: Artwork By – Erik // Mastered By – Andreas Tilliander // Written-By – Erik K. Skodvin, Otto A. Totland
Genres: dark ambient / contemporary classical
Links: Official Website || @MySpace || @Last.FM || @Discogs
Bitrate: VBR
Download: @InfoStore [UA-IX] || @MediaFire || @IFolder
Grade: 10/10

Задним числом подумал, что именно такую музыку, наверное, хотели играть …І Осені Злива Впаде На Покинуті Мрії…. Так что можно считать Deaf Center их ближайшими родственниками. Красивый альбом, спасибо Андрію Параноїду, что познакомил. Похоже, этот норвежский дуэт обитает в портовом городке. Потому что их творчество ассоциируется с видом на океан в шторм (плюс маяки, заводи, плазы и всё сопутствующее). Эх, люблю красивый (без манерности) драматизм в музыке, аж ой. Вот как трек “Thread”. Того и гляди, вдруг выстрелит внеочередной “A Broadcast For Rainy Souls @ 19.9FM”.