In Quantum - Memory 417

Dark ambient has become a go-to of mine for studying, reading, and writing fiction narrative. The genre's roster always impresses me with deep, concentrated masses of ambient, noise, and generally atmospheric sounds. It's a pleasure to get lost in their artists' worlds - imagining vast sunken cities, exploring the vast depths of space, and coming face to face with a great old one straight out of Lovecraft's works is phenomenal. It is rare that while I'm working I find myself disregarding my studies in favor for the ambiance or music that hits my ear. When this anomaly occurs it is for one of two reasons. Reason A is that I have come across a piece so horrible I need to change the song to something else. Reason B is that the music is so great that it is able to pull me out of my studies so I can research more about the artist. Fortunately Reason B was the case with In Quantum's science-fiction, dark ambient album "Memory 417". 

In Quantum is a cinematic dark ambient project from Eric Peterson of Gothenburg, Sweden who now resides in Oklahoma City, OK. "Memory 417" is the project's debut album and has its release on Cryo Chamber. As with most releases on Cryo Chamber, the album has received the label's specialized treatment. It will be coming out in a six-panel digipack as well as in digital formats. And like the other albums on the roster's label it has received a story which you can check out directly via Cryo Chamber's Bandcamp. These little touches are what make Cryo Chamber such an ever growing and dominant force in the dark ambient space; when they release an album they pull no punches on their product. But, enough of this, let's get onto the album "Memory 417". 



"Memory 417" is a powerhouse in captivating my imagination and I believe that's the best part of this album. A concept album that is able to make me envisage myself into its world through sheer music is one that makes me happiest. From the get go with the deep, ominous rumblings in 'Anno MMLXXIV' I was no longer sitting at my PC typing away. With the help of the cover art on the album, I found myself walking the streets of a downgraded, futuristic society where tech and advancements the likes we could not even imagine are everywhere - but only serve the rich and prosperous. The song ends off with light spoken word samples and a disconnected telephone line - as if something is lost.

Set pieces like this are what make "Memory 417" stand out. 'Dream' is another highlight on the album which, while starting off as most other dark ambient tracks do with spacial sounds, slowly swirls into its own being thanks to trickling electronic notes of some curiosity. 'Odyssey' also grabbed me. It's a synthetic journey through space and time, one that warped my from my present location and into the future. For its seven minute duration I was locked. Perhaps my favorite song on the album would be 'Itarius Mourning' thanks to the somber piano that accompanies the later half of the track; it's pure bliss and beauty, a scene of discovery. 

But, that being said, some of the songs also play out as your standard dark ambient affair.  I would like to first point out 'Oceanum Mortuis'. It has a nice ring to it with far off synths still placing me in a cybernetic future. However, in comparison to the above-mentioned songs, I found this one to be lackluster and sounding off more or less like filler. I could say the same for 'Suicidium'. It's a very well produced song without a crack in quality but, again, it just felt ridiculously standard in comparison to the other creative outputs found on "Memory 417". However, this is a minor complaint and should be taken with a grain of salt; these songs do not ruin the flow of the album nor do they make "Memory 417" a detrimental experience. 

I think I have spent all of my words that I possibly can on "Memory 417". To the dark ambient scene at large, this album should be a godsend. It is a glorious meditation on science fiction and cyberpunk dystopia with a hint of hope and resilience. The album will be released in two days and it is well worth a listen or ten. 
Jul 21 2019