Bearsuit Records has dispatched a dandy, new submission, this one by a Japanese (Kyoto) artist called Elkeyes. The album is self-titled, making Elkeyes a personal and therefore, important catalyst. The album is all musical (no vocals), and because of its sweeping ambiance, deft in its cohesiveness.
Elkeyes consists of eight, substantial tracks: "Trial," "Yamanote Line," "Thalassophobia," "The Dark Forest," "Ephemeral," "Evensong," "Breathing the Blues," and "Fallen."
The tracks stack up well, enough to have placed me under their hypnotic spell, though there are distinct variances among the compositions, with several invoking elements of terror.
"Trial" is the epitome of this: a Wall of Sound breakthrough for what might be a new Evil Dead picture. I could feel the woods, the branches extending around me, pricking me, taunting me, as something parasitic was set to leap down my throat. Yes, the feeling was frightful, but do keep in mind, it's often the frightful things that prove the most memorable.
"Breathing the Blues" progresses the prickling sensation. In truth, due to its title, I anticipated something from the Jake/Elwood strand, but the composition weaves a gleeful pessimism: dark and dangerous, but where and when it counts, it's luminous and welcoming.
In my estimation, "The Dark Forest" is an ideal, companion piece to each of the above. It unspools from siren-like whirrs, the sensation implying a twisting trail of ethereal shrieks (much like those that Deadites make). It works a succession of jump scares, too, inspiring one to run, but at the same time, to turn back and admire the mad majesty of one's aggressor.
Keeping with the terror motif, "Thalassaphobia" establishes a Bob Cobert, Dark Shadows mood, its casual development insinuating an unkempt graveyard or trek through cobwebbed catacombs, where classic creatures creep, not so much to claw or bite, but to invoke a nostalgic salutation.
Other tracks might be considered subdued compared to the aforementioned, though they do reach their own pivotal points. For example, "Yamanote Line" is soft and tingling ... icy, perhaps, but in a strange, consoling way, moving from a church-like ambiance to something intimidating and unearthly.
"Ephemeral" is just as atmospheric, if not a smidgeon more reserved. The apprehensive underscore of the other tracks remains, but this one comes across as spell-induced, like an immobilizing embrace from a witch or sorcerer.
"Evensong" matches its call, sliding like a cool trail of slime: eerie at times, but if one accepts the clamminess, it's as refreshing as a warm, summer rain.
The album's final track, "Fallen," could connect to any of the others or all in total, whispering a refrained threat. For me, it paves a trip through the Carpathian Mountains, touching the landscape's old beauty, but also dangling an embedded curse. Its outcome could be malignant or benign, depending on one's perspective, and perhaps more than any of the tracks, this one epitomizes Elkeye's specialized approach, in which a swirl of repose and alarm can (and should) coexist.
For those who enjoy epic, ambient adventures, or for that matter, soundtracks composed for storytelling's dark side, Elkeyes is bound to enthrall: a potent, prodigious album from a potent, prodigious composer.
Listen and envision at
https://bearsuitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/elkeyes
