L’Eclipse Nue – A Defective Man / Torn Spectral Lens

 

L’Eclipse Nue – A Defective Man / Torn Spectral Lens - 2CD -Aussaat – 2021 – Aussaat 18.

https://www.facebook.com/Aussaatundernte/

http://www.leclipsenue.com/

https://leclipsenue.bandcamp.com/music

CD1 – A Defective Man

1.   Failure Stings Your Eyes.

2.   Imprint on a Mirror.

3.   Liquor & Blood.

4.   Gaze From the Terrace.

5.   Public Transport.

6.   A God-Shaped Hole.

7.   Compulsive Sin Population.

8.   Kiss From a Benevolent Tyrant.

9.   Lost At Sea.

10.        Heaven’s Labour.

CD2 – Torn Spectral Lens, Parts 1 & 2.

Presented in a metal tin, containing the CD and a live 3”CD with booklet, A Defective Man is the 25^th album by L’Eclipse Nue since its 2009 beginnings. Daniel Sine began the project in Japan and eventually relocated to America, he has released on many labels and played live gigs around the USA.

A considered, dynamic use of Harsh Noise emerges on the Future Stings Your Eyes, the break down in sound is well played, the falls into silence and interruptions of noise are the perfect playground for noises to rocket off into their own hyperspace. Imprint on a Mirror uses voice samples whilst warping their speed, so that they become incoherent noise that converses with other distorted voices until synth noise calmly moves in, building to the death drones of Liquor and Blood. Harsh Noise explodes with control behind it, bold work shows as this is periodically restrained so drones can resonate in the sound. The interruptions of noise are like explosions of rage, yet demonstrating the right amount of restraint, every time the restraint is loosened, it makes massive waves across the work.

Gaze From the Terrace has intrigue, what is it about, how does it relate to the album. Instrumentation throws sadness and despair out as noise teases around it. This is a simple, yet effective combination of sound. As the track builds, the sound gets darker as pain replaces sadness. The Death Industrial twinges of the project keep popping up, Public Transport seems to dive right into them. The ambient hostility and radioactive synthesizer sounds bounce off each other – we are fully emersed in the true darkness of the album here. This is a sinister work, that gives off urgent hostility at every turn.

A God – Shaped Hole, uses overlaid vocal noise with harsh storms of distortion and noise to build a whole picture. The distortion starts to feel as if it is being peeled off the track as it rips and tears across the work. The sound seems to malfunction and die at the end. The Death hum returns for Compulsive Sin Population, crumbling distortion breaks up continuously over the track, this is nasty, broken Harsh Noise acting out. A vocal appears in the middle of the noise, I am unsure if it is Sine or a sample as it is buried within the sound. The sense of space and dynamic within on this track is impressive, as is the intense build up. A massive bass hum, keyboard tinkering and aggressive noise make the short but sweet Kiss From a Benevolent Tyrant.

Deep bass drones return at the beginnings of Lost At Sea, this plays with a quieter sound for a long time, the build-up is subtle as drones upon drones join each other, before you’ve realised it the sound is soon massive, the sense of power formed is miles away from being Defective.Heavens Labour uses drones and pulsating rhythms with noise crackling into the sound at times – samples go off and the elements seem to move around each other. The feelings of inner emptiness resonate across the sounds, a vocal moan drags across the work – this final track points towards a bleak but brilliant future. The slightest raise in sound has power to it, L’Eclipse has really mastered playing in the quiet areas very well.

Daniel Sine. 

The second part of the set is the 3” CDr Torn Spectral Lens, this is Parts 1 & 2 which is a recording at Cold Spring Hollow, Belcherton, MA, USA on 16/11/2019. The space that drones can operate within is played with, as feedback howls with some sort of cut-up vocal – for a time these elements intertwine with each other, forming a tapestry of sorts. Violence suddenly becomes the main expression, the feedback becomes a howl, distortion and rupturing banging kick off. The sound repeatedly strangles itself to quiet down and rebuild itself differently. Things eventually fall into a mixture of deep instrumentation and noise, this is beautiful, spot-on work. The album is great, but this is the hidden gem, the epic finale of the entire set, buried within this 3” CD.

I didn’t like this project when I first heard it years ago, however L’Eclipse Nue has now truly stepped up into the big league. This is a strong album, that thinks about how noise is used as a weapon, its use of space and noise as an effective area for personal expression. This is a late career victory, throwing our hero in with the best. Go forth and conquer.

Army of one, eradicator of all cliques 2021.