Æthenor – En form for Blå

January 2011 • VHF Reocrds

Despite being yet-another-sideproject courtesy of Stephen O'Malley, I particularly enjoy Æthenor (Betimes Black Cloudmasses is great, and my favorite by them). En form for Blå is particularly interesting, though, due to a bit of a lineup change, most notably the addition of Kristoffer Rygg (of Ulver). So how can I not check out this album? Ultimately, the band hasn't really changed much and this album isn't quite as good as Betimes Black Cloudmasses but it's still pretty decent.

En form for Blå still has basically much the same elements that make Æthenor what they are: minimalist droning soundscapes, some light background guitar, the occasional abstract synth melody here and there. It not the most original act but they do a very fine job of creating a very alien sound (the metal clashing and bleeping synths make it very deliberate-sounding), though it still has its moments of beauty (especially the shining drones of "Vivarium" and the appropriately-named "Dream Tassles").

Steve Noble's drumming—a major addition to the band's sound—is a bit of a letdown, though. In my review of St Francis Duo I noted how the drumming clashed badly with the guitar, and it's basically the same thing here. While there's some sparse droning and electronics and some light noodling guitar, the drums are still mostly spastic and formless; I simply don't like the way they are integrated into the compositions at all. Fortunately the drumming is quieter here than St Francis Duo and seems to follow the intensity of the music for the most part, so it's definitely not as bad.

Despite being an ambient album, En form for Blå works best with focused listening. Even in its quieter moments there is still a lot going on in the various layers of atmospheric noise, electronics, and percussion. That said, as a whole it's pretty directionless and does tend to drag a bit near the end (probably especially so for people not quite accustomed to Æthenor's sound), so I tend to prefer taking it in as background music and only occasionally really listen during the more interesting bits.

I'll still take Betimes Black Cloudmasses over this album (and probably other ambient-improv bands like Supersilent too), but for what it is it's pretty good, especially considering it's a live album. Nothing to get too excited about, but I'll still keep an eye on Æthenor in case they put out something else neat anytime soon.

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