Elena M. Rosa Lavita - Dismembering a Dead Swan[Still Death]
A new concept album released by Industrial Ölocaust Recordings. A Elena M. Rosa Levita from Italian, a visual artist and bassist by trade. Have released a handful of releases on various labels... HGM, Luce Sia, Toten Schwan. I have reviewed some departures from the record label HGM (so there is a connection there), and this time her latest release is on a label which I have done a lot of reviews for. Industrial Ölocaust Recordings have always had a good ear for esoteric aesthetic mystical stuff, so I am looking forward to reviewing this.
The album has been released in a CD-jewel case format, and a lovely thick booklet and some great-looking graphics come with it. As I mentioned earlier, this is a concept-driven album. An experimental interpretation of Tjajkovskij´s olden-goldie Swan Lake, which many of us think of as being the immortal theme for Dracula, used for the first time in the classic black-and-white Bela Lugosi´s version from 1931. 6 tracks, 36 minutes all on a great-looking black CD.
The first track The Beak already enters that well-known creepiness that early gothic-horror flicks contained. Minimalistic, atmospheric, stark, and very immersive. The sound of an accordion, bass, various bells, and some finger-nail scraping sound. Perfect gothic-horror sound.
The second track The Eye. Sounds like the bass is being played like a violin, or is it a manipulated viola? Sounds great, the sound makes me think of the gothic post-punk band Bauhaus... in some way. You can still sense the idea of vampires crawling up church walls. Good use of creepy and subtle reversed sounds here.
The third track The Heart offers layered grinding nails on rusty steel bars. Still contains the cool and simple bass and the additional sounds of ritualistic moods.
The fourth track The Feathers, you get the sound of... sandpaper on cement (sort of sound), thumping sounds, and the nails on the steely bass strings. A lovely organic feel to the album so far, with sound quality being top-of-the-line.
The fifth track The Wing mostly contains shimmering ambient-bell sounds and bass. It still follows that excellent sound aesthetic. There is a strangely disturbing vibe to this track, the subtle gentleness keeps my nerves awake!
The sixth (and last track) The Death. Another example of how home-recorded sounds can be used in a pure soundscape. Love the skeletal sound-feel here. Wandering inside home huge haunted house, and all the tiny sounds are caught by your ear.
Exellent mini-album by Elena M. Rosa Lavita! One of those albums that you (almost) can listen to nearly every day. A worthy tribute to early gothic horror. There isn´t much I can compare it with, I guess I could mention some of the early (and ritualistic) tracks by Psychic TV or Coil. I don´t have anything bad to say about the album, only that it´s good all the way through. It´s a downside that the same sounds are being used, but then again it´s part of the concept. And the concept (of sound) works! Very good album here!
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