Zakhme - Kula
A new project out on the esoteric Italian label Industrial Ölocaust Recordings, a debut by an act called Zakhme, and the album is called Kula. Out on CD-R and on numbered cassette. Zakhme is in Urdu, a language spoken in India and Pakistan. It means bruise, offend, spite, hurt, and wound. Kula means community, tribe, or clan.
The front cover artwork shows an ancient hand wedge. A primitive tool and weapon used back in the Stone Age constructed sharp-edged flintstone if u like. Inside the booklet, there are some detailed esoteric writings about the act and the album itself. Worth reading while listening. It´s a 3-track album, with about 45 minutes in total.
The first track is called Parte I: Rito / Illusioni. There is a mesmerizing and ceremonious drone combined with shimmering bells. Think there is a boiling cauldron somewhere, or the sound coming from a lab of an alchemist. Farway ritualistic tribal beats slowly fade in while the focus of the sounds zooms in and out. Really hypnotizing, deep stuff that sucks the listener in. There is that Zeit by Tangerine Dream meets Bladerunner sort of vibe here, dramatic and epic... but also strangely calm and mysterious as well. Also, some well-done melodic elements are hidden in there as well!
The second track Parte II: Hypnos. For those who don´t know, Hypnos is the god of dreams in Greek mythology. You can also meet him in the world of H.P. Lovecraft as well! The sound of dust on a looped vinyl player, the buzzing of night crickets, screaming reverbed sounds in the distance, birds chirping (a bit), and the sound of a UFO above. Mind-opening stuff for the imaginary mind for sure. Love the sound of dribbling lime-stone caverns here, or is it the sound of a bonfire?
The third and last track Parte III: Stella Del Mattino / Risveglio offers a reversed sound of some kind of stringed instrument and bells, with a mind-boggling drone-driven soundscape in the background. Kind of being at a druidic ritual, with the presence of strange spirits being summoned. But at the same time, it has that... futuristic touch to it. Again, ancient ritual music meets Bladerunner. For some reason, the one track which had the biggest impact on me was this track. I think it was intentional, not because it was more dynamic than the former tracks but just because... the other-worldly sensation/feeling was slightly increased!
Kula is a really good ambient album. Or is it ambient? There is drone stuff and tribal stuff. And a tiny touch of Berlin School as well! It´s an ambient-driven album that connects the past with the future. I can't say one bad thing about this album, I really can´t. It´s honest, unique, and well-made. The experience is quite... a thing (believe me!). One of those albums...(which I think...) will be a new experience every time the listener would lay their ears to it. It´s a pure angelic monster the whole bloody way through! For fans of Zoviet France/Rapoon, Controlled Bleeding, and Brian Eno.
Bandcamp (band):
Official site (label):