I was pretty impressed with Ithi’s The Persistence of Meaning, which I reviewed last year for Utech Records.  So, when I got Within I was pretty stoked to hear their sophomore effort. Anyway, my level of excitement missed the mark because this tape turned out to be even better than I had hoped! This is probably one of the coolest noise/drone albums I’ve heard not just this year, but ever. This one is absolutely essential! Stop reading this now and start scouring the internet to get yourself a copy. I don’t care if it costs $20.00+. You need this! . . .
Okay, now that you’ve found a copy somehow, somewhere I’ll fill you in on what you can expect. “Go Forth and Die” welds together layers of industrial sputtery noise to make a funked-out bizarro rhythm that will taste delicious to your ears and will make the taste buds of your ear canals jump for joy. Some mechanized vocals create a low end texture. On the second and last track on Side A, “Roses in the Snow” it seamlessly continues and all recedes into an ominous drone that hums and bristles with a restrained energy and builds back into a climactic mood that lasts a while and decays in reverb. Moving on to Side B, we hear “NoWhere.” It begins with coarse sparks of amplified guitar crunch which actually sounds like tired rolling tape spools. Its entity becomes more caustic and palpable, growing in size and strength. A fizzling guitar is added that writhes with feedback. It expands and thickens in density, suffocating you with its unbearable fog. It gives the impression of a very loud machine room. I detect some obscured vocals, but I’m not positive. It fades surprisingly fast. All that’s left is a slow beat and a rising dystopia of nightmarish atmospherics. It’s enough to make the most sane and stoic individual intensely nervous and paranoid. You just take the trek step by step, cautiously groping through the present darkness. It then evaporates and you’re left right where you left off before hitting play.
I love this tape! An even better showing than their first.
