-=- SHGZ -=- * Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal * ARTIST..: ISON ALBUM...: Inner - Space GENRE...: Electronic STYLE...: Shoegaze, Ethereal, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Drone, Ambient, Darkwave YEAR....: 2019 LABEL...: Avantgarde Music LANGUAGE: English COUNTRY.: Sweden PLACE...: Gothenburg ENCODER.: LAME 3.100 -V0 BITRATE.: 244 kbps avg QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo SOURCE..: CD TRACKS..: 8 SIZE....: 107.27 MB URL..: http://www.facebook.com/ison444?fref=ts - TRACKLIST 1 Inner - Space 8:35 2 Radiance (Featuring Neige) 10:05 3 Equals 9:28 4 ISAE 7:07 5 Shipwrecks 3:20 6 The Fifth World 8:21 7 Everything's About To Change Forever 7:37 8 A Golden Force (Bonus Track) 6:36 Total Playtime: 61:09 Track 2 "Radiance" features Neige from Alcest * ISON was formed in 2015 on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Sweden. ISON is a result of the two music like-minded souls of Daniel -nghede (Crippled Black Phoenix, Hearts of Black Science) and Heike Langhans (Draconian, LOR3L3I). Inspired by Drone, Goth & Shoegaze, combined with a deep fascination for the astral planes and the universe their music is best known as Cosmic Drone. Combining punishing guitars and eerie vocals with lush, ambient soundscapes. The music is crafted deep within the halls of an abandoned underground powerplant station also known as Cavesounds. With no cellphone reception or windows to tell if it's day or night, the location is a perfect host for writing atmospheric music in total isolation to the outside world. * - The Cosmic Metal of ISON's Inner - Space Opens a Portal to Contemplating the Universe - - The Swedish duo evoke the universe's vastness with a spell-binding blend of metal, shoegaze, goth, ambient, and electronica. - Compared to their previous albums' artwork, the soft pastels on the cover of ISON's Inner-Space might seem a bit misleading at first. But make no mistake: the cosmic metal duo's debut full-length is still as space-minded as those other releases, as Daniel -nghede and Heike Langhans evoke the universe's vastness with a spell-binding blend of metal, shoegaze, goth, ambient, and electronica. You won't hear any blast beats or demonic grunts and howls in these eight songs-the closest they come to any of that are the distant screams of Alcest's Neige on "Radiance" but there's nothing about Inner-Space that isn't as heavy as a neutron star, or as dense and inescapable as a black hole's singularity. (Forgive me; I'll try to keep the astronomical metaphors to a minimum from here on out.) Inner-Space isn't vicarious or gimmicky listening for thrill-seekers, as you might assume given my earlier "cosmic metal" tag. Rather, ISON composes slow, majestic, grandiose-and, dare I say, romantic-music for contemplating the cosmic voids and spheres, and considering that most of the album's songs pass the seven-minute mark, the Swedish duo gives you plenty of time for such mind-expanding activity. Here's what I imagine to be the ideal listening environment for Inner-Space: a dark field in the middle of nowhere, the album turned up loud on headphones, and you lying on your back in the grass to watch the Milky Way and countless other galaxies spiral overhead (no chemicals required or necessary). The title track even finds Langhans imploring listeners to "look up at the sky and tell me you don't feel a thing/I won't believe you'd take this all for granted," her sad, angelic voice surrounded by slow-burning guitars and towering drums. And to be honest, that's also how I like to imagine -nghede and Langhans composed these songs, the duo writing them after long periods of star-gazing and contemplating their minuscule existence in the grand scheme of things. But for all of its ponderous and weighty lyrics and sonics, ISON's music isn't just about feeling nihilistic and cast adrift in the cosmos. As I wrote in my review of 2015's excellent Cosmic Drone EP, "it is beneficial to have our perspectives re-adjusted and broadened. ISON just happens to do so with some gloomily beautiful, evocative music that conveys both the sublime beauty of the spheres as well as the crushing alienness of the interstellar expanse." Indeed, the glorious climax of "Equals," the celestial melancholy of "Radiance," "ISAE" 's gently unfolding atmospherics... all of these-and the rest of Inner-Space's songs, for that matter-are invitations to contemplate the grand, extravagant universe surrounding us, with ISON's expansive music being the portal. Other bands want to make you dance, wax nostalgic, fall in love, or rise in protest. ISON avoids such mundane motives. They want you to feel nothing less than a sense of awe, which is precisely what they accomplish with Inner-Space. * - If you want to drift away among the stars, deep into the eerie beauty of the cosmos, you've come to the right place. - ISON are a young Swedish group comprised of Daniel -nghede (Crippled Black Phoenix, Hearts of Black Science) and Heike Langhans (Draconian, LOR3L3I) that specializes in very spacey sounds. After previously releasing two EPs, they are now back with their first full-length album. INNER - SPACE further cements the band's trademark blend and takes it a little further. For the lack of better words, I'd say that stylistically we're dealing with something between doomgaze and ambient music, woven on top of a post-rock foundation with electronic shreds scattered throughout. INNER - SPACE spans just a minute over an hour, and my only complaint about it is that it's not longer. This will become more obvious as I delve into the actual music. Each of the eight songs that are present on the album contours a part of the enthralling and soothing aural painting that is INNER - SPACE. I'd like to start off by pointing out that the timbres of the utilized sounds could not be any more rich and appropriate, which is truly rewarding since technically, the record explores the deep nuances of these sounds and how they interact with each other. The record starts out on an expansive tone, immediately tapping into the the far-out depth of the mood that pervades it throughout. "Inner - Space" successfully immerses us into this setting, which we may not escape even well after the album has ended. This impossible to define mood walks the border between losing oneself to the immensity of existence and coursing through the infinitely riveting microcosm of one's own innards; the latter is only reinforced by the suggestive title of the album. "Radiance" continues to develop this full-bodied sensation, radiating with a subdued intensity akin to witnessing an explosion from so far away that no sound or shockwave is felt. The song also features a guest appearance from Alcest's very own Neige. Heike Langhans's charming and almost ghostly angelic voice adds an alluring and dreamy atmosphere to the mix. Her voice also drives the melodic end of the textural developments with an ethereal grace. Whenever she is silent, the synths come to the foreground to animate whatever space is left untouched - whenever it starts feeling like there is some weight missing from the song or that things may be meandering, a muffled riff comes along to add that necessary density. That muffled riff, which recurs in various forms, is also the only thing that basically lends any metal or rock edge to the whole affair. As we near the end of this journey, we hear how things are being progressively more drenched in reverb and delay, further emphasizing the tranquil vibe. We also hear how the electronic beats are swapped with real drums. This is quite noticeable on "Everything's About To Change Forever", along with the more overt post-rock leaning in its delivery and structure. The album ends on a somewhat dream pop/synthwave-ish tone, leaving the listener to slowly ooze back into the dense material reality around them. INNER - SPACE is an elegant, well-crafted trip that perfectly suits an introspective listener. It revels in its rather amorphous form, encompassing things that transcend words. ISON are doing the astral music thing right, and I'm sure that many will agree upon experiencing this album. As a fan of such things, I have rarely come across such compelling renditions of emotional and immaterial states. If you will, INNER - SPACE soothes the inner space as it takes one to outer space. * I'm a real sucker for cosmic themes in music; from the netherworld of Hawkwind to the tenebrous outer reaches of Obscura, it always adds an extra level of strong ambience and has so much scope and areas of interest that it can, much like the universe, carry on forever. ISON is the ambient/drone/shoegaze brainchild of Heike Langhans of Draconian fame and Daniel -nghede from the criminally underrated Crippled Black Phoenix. Inner - Space (stream/purchase here) is their first full-length, having released two acclaimed EPs over the past few years, and it is an hour-long trek through the spiritual cosmos via the pumping of the human heart. The music is mostly gentle, droning, ethereal waves of sound accentuated by synths throughout the record that evolve into real-world instrumentation by the end of the journey - a coming back to earth or returning to the body if you will. One of the biggest highlights is a guest appearance by Neige of Alcest and Lantl(s fame on "Radiant," a man that has almost single-handedly spearheaded the post-black metal/shoegaze (or "blackgaze") movement over the past decade. His detached trademark screams linger in the distance, ominous and otherworldly, setting a perfect counterbalance to Heike's elegant vocal melodies. And speaking of Heike, she has taken her seductive vocals from Draconian and let loose with everything in her range to create truly lush and tender euphony in ISON, adding to the bold sonic tapestry. All the sounds resonate and travel in complete harmony and there is a feeling of inner calm when the album ends, the hour-long playtime neither too long nor causing the listener to lose interest. On the contrary, the further in you listen, the more engrossed you become in the soft grandiosity that ISON has created. To quote the title track: "Wake up... find your way back to the source... if you wake up falling through the universe" - this is heady, introspective, beautiful music, the kind that you treasure in the quiet moments. The title of the album says it all - this is a dreamy microcosmic voyage through the inner self, a searching inward to see the stars and savour the soul. ISON has easily produced the celestial ambient album of 2019 with Inner - Space, an astral journey that begs to be grasped and experienced. Do not miss out. * The cosmic drone duo ISON, consisting of Heike Langhans, who you might know of Draconian, and Daniel -nghede, who you might know of Crippled Black Phoenix, formed in 2015. In that same year they released their debut EP Cosmic Drone, which was followed by an EP called Andromeda Skyline three years later. On September the 20th this duo released their full-length debut. This full-length debut is called Inner - Space and it's my first experience with ISON's music. What an experience it is! Right from the first moments of the opening title-track ISON immediately pulls you into this album with its droning, ambienty atmosphere that works very hypnotizing. They do this in such a fantastic way that this album is getting you in its grip and doesn't let you go until the last notes of closing track A Golden Force have faded out, a bit over one hour later. While there isn't very much variation on Inner - Space and this album's pace is quite slow, ISON still succeeds in this. Of course the hypnotizing effect of their music is strengthening this. There is a bit of variation to be found on Inner - Space though, but that's minimal. A few examples of this variation are some moments when a bit of electronical influences are added, such as in ISAE, the drums sounding a bit more electronical compared to other moments, such as in that same ISAE, as well as in Equals and Radiance. In addition to that higher guitars as well as heavier-tuned guitars can be heard, just as some vocal variation is added. What's standing out the most when talking about the vocals are those done by Heike. Her vocals are sounding very beautiful and fitting with the music. She puts a lot of emotion into her vocals, as can be heard in for example Radiance, Shipwrecks and Everything's About To Change Forever. The first track of those that I just mentioned, Radiance, of course is also special vocal-wise for another reason, because on that track Alcest's mastermind Neige is contributing in a very nice way with his guest vocals. Atmospherically and sound-wise Inner - Space is already getting close to Alcest's Autre Temps and due to Neige's contribution to Radiance, that track could have very well fitted on Autre Temps. On top of that we can also hear some very intense screams on Radiance. ISON's Inner - Space is a very special, awesome album that's best experienced by undergoing it yourself. This is an album to completely lose yourself in, to bring your thoughts to enchanting emptiness. All tracks on Inner - Space are gems, piece by piece that add to this journey making this album far from boring. With Inner - Space ISON created an album that's fascinating from start to finish, a very well-done achievement looking at the length of this album and their musical style. ISON's Inner - Space is a very strong album and it surely is potential year list material. * Music is about feelings. Music is about experiences. Personal experiences. In the past, in the present and even about everything we expect and hope for in the future. Music is a state of mind, state of the heart. Music is a pain in the heart, pain in the soul. And it is no wonder that I'm going to present you the new ISON album as one whole musical journey, an experience for the heart and the soul. Music evoking bittersweet memories, tunes that hit you in the guts, make your heart beats quicker. It's not because of a furious tempo of the record. "Inner Space" is the intimate album, touching the darkest corners of the lonely and empty soul. It gives needless hope for the tired heart, for a few more beats, before it crushes it into the painful nothingness of the existence. ISON was formed in 2015 around Gothenburg, Sweden, and the "two music-like minded souls" in the band - Daniel Anghdede (Crippled Black Phoenix, Hearts of Black Science) and Heike Langhans (Draconian, LOR3L3I), are well known to all who follow the scene. Both influenced by "the vast, infinite nothing", they describe their music as a Cosmic Drone. "Inner Space" is the first full-length album of the band and this one hour of music represents the beauty and the magic of the music, as they should be. "Inspired by Drone, Black Metal, Goth & Shoegaze, combined with a deep fascination for the astral planes and the universe", "Inner Space" draws pictures, visions, memories, creates dreams. It is a sad album, though. It has details and nuances even from the dream dance genre, including the gorgeous vocals of Heike. (ATB is a good reference for example). Indeed the eerie vocals contrast to the ripping through guitars. However, that's on the first glimpse. The combinations create a massive impact for the whole experience, building upon the total ambient atmosphere. "Inner Space" is an escape and a gateway to something more personal, bigger, essential. Something beyond our inner space - cosmic and ETERNAL tunes. There is nothing to hope for at the end of the day while listening to Inner Space. It is dark and quiet there, despite all the emotions the album can spark. The eight tracks are a mirror where you can look deep into your soul in order to find all the innumerable missed opportunities and long-gone cravings. It is a contemplation into a black infinite and in the same time self-observance. The blackgaze and shoegaze dominate in the music soundscapes while making the soul small, useless, needless. ALONE, burning on the pyre called life, called existence - something so transient, and always bringing so many questions. We love gazing into the stars of the night sky - it is always magical for us. But we feel the eternal grief. ...And it is so tragical for us contemplating this beauty. We, the small pieces of nothing, leaving only nothing after we disappear. And yes, "Inner Space" features guest vocals by Neige of ALCEST. Music is about feelings. Music is about experiences. Personal experiences. In the past, in the present and even about everything we expect and hope for in the future. Music is a state of mind, state of the heart. Music is a pain in the inner space. Music is eternal. -=- SHGZ -=- P.S. ** Thanks *** *** BCC FNT IPC SSR *** *** For Knowing Where The Music Is At *** *** Props to CaHeSo, awesome Asian Indie/Shoegaze *** *** And to FANG/HOUND for supporting all the Indie lovers out there *** --===-- ********************* * NuHS we miss you! * *********************