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SIGMA OCTANTIS - Dissipations

Format: CD
Label & Cat.Number: OPN Records OPNCD0025 / Malignant Antibody Treatment 04
Release Year: 2014
Note: final release (as the label states) by this French group known for their "old school" experimental approach, merging early industrial with post-rock influences in the way of MORTHOUND; DEUTSCH NEPAL, etc... "Among the best and most challenging post-ambient electronic albums of the year. Highly recommended." [IGLOO magazine]
Price (incl. 19% VAT): €12.00
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"Final release from this enigmatic French act, who over their 10 plus year existence, evolved into something very cerebral and innovative, fusing tribal rhythms and percussion with post-industrial and post-rock soundscapes, where cinematic textures and emotive melodies combine to create an eclectic, yet highly detailed and focused listening experience. Sigma Octantis has never been shy about their admiration of Morthound, and while that rings true with Dissipations, they have undoubtedly forged their own identity, the strength of their sound coming from an ability to take a template established 20 years ago, and expound upon it with a distinctive and broad palette of layers and complexities, where the overall arrangement of the tracks is structured and song oriented, but made surreal, unpredictable, and infinitely engrossing. A unique vision has come to pass, but will continue to live on with a strong end statement. For fans of Morthound, Deutsch Nepal, and the latter works of Caul. A Malignant Antibody release, co-released with French label OPN Records, limited to 500 copies in eco-wallet. Mastered by Frederic Arbour (Cyclic Law)." [label info]

www.malignantrecords.com



"Next to the melodious dark ambient project Lambwool, Sigma Octantis is an other French project who first signed materials on the legendary Divine Comedy Records before to find a new home at the indispensable OPN Records. Throughout their career Sigma Octantis had constantly challenged the boundaries of electronic music, providing an exclusive and genuinely inventive medley of lysergic ambient music, noisy post-rock elements and avant-garde dynamics. The French trio combines instrumental textures with electronically processed motifs and micro sounds. Their previous album Disséminations was an undisputed masterpiece and a little revolution in the world of modern experimental ambient music. This new effort which appears to be co-produced between Malignant Antibody and OPN is an other virtuosic, original and highly inspiring attempt that brings the whole contemporary post-ambient musical register at its finest.

The opening track starts this musical sci-fi procession with a ritualistic and dream-like theme where frantic repetitive martial drums meet fuzzed out electronics, e-guitar emotive screams, ominous minimal melodies and field recordings. “Fantômes infinitésimaux” depicts a cinematic sound excursion through cool electronic noises and garage guitar chords. “Errance definitive” is an hypnagogic timbral minimalist soundscape, deeply moving and entrancing. “Parle Moi, Il Fait Noir” follows this restful and enigmatic musical path, bringing to the fore an almost mystically religious aura. “Farewell” close the album with a blasting rockin’ electronic piece.

Once again the band successes to develop their very own musical identity and hybrid-like universe, inaugurating an impossible cross of non-conscious influences, between Fausto Balbo’s cybernetic electronics, Brighter Death now’s punchy post-industrialism, Earth’s doom desert songs and classical dark ambient releases (from Yen Pox, Caul, coph Nia), with the add of subtle touches of sonorous trashy post-rock grooves. Among the best and most challenging post-ambient electronic albums of the year. Highly recommended."
[Philippe Blache, IGLOO MAGAZINE]



"It's not very often that we see good ol' Morthound mentioned as an inspiration for current music. Maybe because I would assume it would be too far away in history? But maybe that's just my perception of 'that' kind of music. Whenever I meet BJ Nilsen, the subject hardly ever gets to the fact that Morthound was his first musical enterprise. Here we have Sigma Octantis, which is a trio of JB, JW and JMW, and I assume from France and while I am trying very hard to remember what Morthound sounded like, I see also the 'latter works of Caul' mentioned, as well as Deutsch Nepal. All of which in my book are noted as the more interesting end of the dark music; gothic music, anyone? Back in the day, and I am speaking some twenty years ago, I was working for a record label/distributor and gothic would be the derivative term to label just anything dark, swollen, pathetic, rhythmic and/or forceful. Maybe over the years I learned to appreciate and recognize the differences, and while Sigma Octantis might not end up regularly in this CD player, I quite enjoy what they do. It's rhythm heavy, lots of guitar sounds fed through all sorts of effects to make it more atmospheric and distorted, and a bit of more regular guitar and underneath probably a bunch of synthesizer sounds. All of these pieces are well over five minutes and have this atmospheric rocky sound with a bit of dark ambience and industrial monotony. I should be digging out some old Morthound releases to see if there is any validity in their influence claim, but then: who cares? I think Sigma Octantis did an excellent work on this." [FdW/Vital Weekly]