The Nothing Machine - NMTR v1

To appreciate The Nothing Machine's release 'NMTR v1', you have to read the bio on their website first. Here, you learn they're a group of scientists and technicians who worked with or were exposed to the Z+ Machine (dubbed the Nothing Machine), part of a nuclear energy experiment. NMTR actually stands for Nothing Machine Therapy Recordings and the recordings here are, according to the group, designed send into remission the effects of telomeric shortening the members experienced as a result of exposure to the Nothing Machine. This allows the machine's technicians to spend time away from the machine without experiencing ill effects.

And so, we have NMTR v1, the first recording designed to grant much-needed relief to the Nothing Machine technicians. Presented as a single track lasting about 54 minutes, the album opens with the sounds of radio communications, creating an atmosphere of being in an old science lab. From here, the track evolves to become a slowly morphing melding field recordings processed and assembled to create haunting atmospherics. Layers move in and out during our restorative audio session. One remarkable thing about the release is that it feels very organic, and hearkens back to the days of early dark ambient/experimental recordings that relied heavily on field recordings instead of synth lines to create ambiance. Distant voices and the bleeps and bloops of mysterious machinery drive home the feeling of drifting disembodied through a cavernous research facility. Some synth lines and rhythms come in about halfway through the track, layered atop the droning, gradually evolving sounds of the field recordings.

At times, "NMTR v1" reminds me of early some Lustmord tracks, which is never a bad thing. That the group provides a background story which imparts a sense of purpose to the recordings is a nice touch, and adds to the listening experience. I hope these recordings help the Nothing Machine technicians heal so that they can return to create NMTR v2...for science! Jun 24 2012