Poltergeists is a biweekly feature in which Michael and Wes share tracks that they have had on repeat over the past two weeks.
Michael
Front 242 - “7Rain (LP Version)”
“I consider falling overboard / I will navigate without you / Driven by the stars, guided by the moon” is a line that has been running through my head for many, many years. I have a difficult time trying to discern whether it is a reflection of the feelings that I have during these parts of my life, but it happens about once a year and I have to bust out the Still & Raw EP from Front 242. I prefer “7Rain {ghost}(LP Version)” to the original - which does not have the line that I reference in the beginning of this piece, but they are both great examples of what Front 242 can really do. There is a minimalism to the tracks on this EP that stuck out to me when I heard it for the first time.
Sturmpercht - “Geist”
I have been listening to this song nearly non-stop this week. It is almost 17 minutes long but listen to all of it, I promise you will be pleased! “Geist” goes from a calming, deeply emotional neofolk to my ideal black metal song, which I did not expect to happen at all! It is an extremely good song. It has such an awesome feeling to it.
Wes
Sunwølf - “In The Darkened River I Found The Silence Loom”
This song is a beautiful example of how metal can build emotion through a use of minimalism. Simple guitar lines mix wonderfully with haunting layered vocals, violas and piano to create a dark atmosphere. Building slowly over the seven minutes of the song, it culminates in an almost euphoric outburst near the end; the mood slowly morphs from a slow brood to a building sense of melancholy, before everything drops away, leaving the vocals floating, ephemeral and lonely.
Tuxedo Gleam - “Truth”
“Truth” has an ominous feel throughout. Airy pads mix with brooding bass lines, bells, and minimalist drum beats to build this feeling, slowly evolving. The consistent beat and bell synths invoke an image of dense fog; flashes of light illuminate silhouettes of swirling figures. Every element in this song seems to have found its place, and it feels like it has been pared back to only the elements that were need, in a very effective and affecting way.