Depression Embrace / Vladkon - The Distance
Not a release from E.C.T Recordings but a release from a sub-label of E.C.T. Simply called S.E.C.T. An act called Depression Embrace and an act called Vladkon, with their album called The Distance. Each act delivers its ideas and visions of how depression and bleakness can be expressed through 21 minutes, which means that the entire split is about 42 minutes long. The beautiful physical release comes as a double 3"mini CDR, with cute and small jewel cases all bound into a cool-looking sleeve (and plastic bag as well). Second time I have come across a double 3"mini CDR release with small jewel cases, they are just soo damn adorable!
But let us not get too sentimental about the cute jewel cases. Nothing cute and adorable here! The first thing I am getting into here will be the track by Depression Embrace called Сенке Праскозорја, which means Shadows of a Breaking Dawn. It starts with a cold and deep humming drone, the sort of sound one might expect to hear (or feel) in that dark forest that the cover artwork shows. There is the sound of something dripping here, and there is also the sound of a storm... brewing outside. There is something distant in the background, voices, and noises. I am not sure. Cannot help thinking about that flick called The Road with Viggo Mortensen or John Carpenter's The Thing, there is something about this recording that get´s you under the skin. Like walking through a forest in springtime, and there isn't the sound of birds or wildlife, or you just know all about the upcoming day of judgment. That kind of feeling, and for some strange reason... it´s actually incredibly enjoyable to listen to. I don´t know if that was the artist's intent, but hell... I like depressive and cold stuff, makes me happy! Excellent recording and excellent dark ambient here, totally raw, minimal, and heavy.
The next mini CD-R with Vladkon has an interesting (and rather esoteric-looking) kind of... Blair Witch project symbol. Kind of fits nicely if you again will consider the artwork. The track by Vladkon is called Bleakness Of Hope, which means that there is no hope. But is there hope in the recording itself? The whole starts as a synth-driven atmospheric soundtrack. Again with a nod or two to classic background music to the X-Files (or even Boards of Canada!). Cool and repetitive retro-synths with some distant screaming in the background don't sound like much... do give it a shot! Kind of slow-moving classical music being performed on a synth. With the cool retro synths and the tortured screams in the background, it basically sounds like someone in need of some kind of deliverance. A cool and horrific piece of retro-atmospheric and soundtrack-based ambient!
I absolutely love this double CD-R mini-release. Love the artwork and love the sounds within. It delivers what you see and feel, and doesn´t disappoint you at all. Raw dark ambient stuff without sounding like the boring (and polished) stuff! It´s absolutely magnificent! And again, either S.E.C.T or E.C.T doesn´t have a Bandcamp page, just read my review and then buy it (links below).
Discogs (S.E.C.T):
Discogs (E.C.T):
Facebook (E.C.T):