Reviews

Plaguehaus

“Glued to my window, to what would I compare my sterility if not to that of the City? Yet the other desert, the real one, haunts me. If only I could go there and forget the odor of men! As God’s neighbor, I should inhale His desolation and His eternity that I dream of at the moments there awakens in me the memory of a distant cell. In a previous life, what monastery did I abandon or betray? My incomplete prayers, broken off then, pursue me now, while in my brain some heaven or other appears and disappears.” 

Cioran, “The Temptation to Exist” 

N.Horvath has returned to swing wide the gates of hell and to drag us to the depths of depression and decay. His latest work being heavily influenced by Romanian philosopher Emil Cioran, expect nothing than a tug towards the abyss. Cioran was the epitome of pessimism, attracted to the idea of suicide and favored personal indulgence. If all life is accidental, why should it be taken so seriously? To quote the man, "Is it possible that existence is our exile and nothingness our home?”. 

‘Acédia’ is most definitely the aural equivalent to the writings of Cioran. Crushed with hopelessness, the listener is taken depths of despair. The air is filled with oppressive rumblings and distant chimes. As waves of low, languid sound weave a cocoon of comfort, lulling you into a womb of security, you realizing to late the trap that has been set. A hammered chord…an ominous blast of sound…the keyboard equal to a striking predator. At other times, we the listeners are reminded that volume does not always equal power. A subtle crescendo of the right notes can stop you where you stand with just as much force as a wall of amp driven guitar noise. 

As I’ve stated previous, N.Horvath is a master at his craft. He’s a craftsman of sound as dynamic. More than any ambient musician I can think of, I savor each release and lust for the next. Being extremely prolific, there seems to be no end to the offerings. Lucky for us all….. (J.)