Some Truths - The First Gate of Dreaming

I am beginning to think there's been some kind of tear in the fabric of time and space in England these days because acts like this are appearing more and more frequently. This is not the only name this fellow, Mr. Bass Clef, operates under but by comparing it to his other nom de plumes, it is without question, the most unconventional. I don't mean that in a posturing or elitist sort of way, it's more that you can feel the bandwidth of your own tastes expanding as some mighty odd sounds move about the four compositions which comprise Some Truths debut release. The liner notes to this collection juxtapose esoterica and technological pragmatism quite splendidly, the words ask questions which only an endless hall of mirrors could answer. Some truths are easier to accept than others.

What could possibly be the impetus to release work such as this? Is it all just niche mining for the love of cassettes, is it some kind of new musical movement... no, just one man turning the physiological settings up to 11, lingering briefly and then tearing the knob clean off in one fell swoop of synthetic alchemy. This here is the music you'd expect to find the wizard of Oz drawing inspiration from for his own show of magic and lights. Some Truths continue in a manner befitting the groundbreaking work of the mid to late 1970s which refuted the bloated, chart embracing times and instead forged a new path, a new ethos and a brilliant new aesthetic of low profile high impact electronic rebellion. This, more than anything else, is what Some Truths are making come across in the material presented here: there is no lifeguard on duty, no spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down easier. I happen to think this is the antidote to a systemic break down which has seen pop music make far too many inroads and with it, the effervescent fans who want it nice and safely categorized.

The tracks are lengthy, yes, but they're hardly static, moving about luminously between whispering crackles into twisted, mangled waves of sound. I think the ending of the last piece on here is downright hilarious. I'm guessing that was the intent, to point out that even now in the maddeningly compartmentalized and shiny 21st century, people still believe in this kind of boogie man bullshit. And no, you can't dance to any of these compositions but you can think, perhaps this is what Some Truths would like most out of their audience, god knows I wouldn't mind more artists who have the courage to challenge their listeners to do so. He's not going to have a t-shirt to go with this nor will there be a marketing tie-in with some 'renegade' corporate sponsor.

Wake up, it's time to get that grey matter back into shape. What I wouldn't give to commandeer some club night, put this on an endless loop and watch the well groomed and arrogantly attired flee in disgusted droves. It'd make mass hysteria thoroughly pleasurable to behold.

I'll stress this again, "The First Gate of Dreaming" is only the opening salvo of this gentleman's vast arsenal which plainly is arrayed magnificently in opposition to any form of mediocrity. You're going to notice these prime little cuts of auditory confrontation no matter where you happen to be and if, by some strange stroke of luck, others around you appreciate it then embolden them to purchase what the Clef is creating for themselves. They'll thank you for it when popular music finally collapses under the weight of it's own pompous pretensions. Jun 07 2011