tri:.OBYTE - Eyes of the Ophanim

 

Released: April 29

Eyes of the Ophanim is based on a scenario in which the skies have been suddenly filled with unrecognizable phenomena of unknown origin and plays off of prophetic scripture from ancient times. It follows that idea of a type of angel known as the Ophanim, which, if you are unfamiliar with, are absolutely the idea behind the biblically-accurate angel trend you can find in many corners of the internet. If you are not familiar with he trend, I highly recommend looking it up so you can get an even greater appreciation for this album. If you choose not to though, there’s still much to be enjoyed here. 

The album centers around long and usual  textures strewn about, giving a seemingly otherworldly and even slightly apocalyptic vibe to everything. Tri:.obyte (Dennis McVeigh) takes a wide variety of techniques into his process to create the wide-ranging compositions throughout, but one of my favorite elements at work is his use of vocal samples. I have no clue where the original sounds are derived from, but the way in which he processes them is fantastic and unnerving. He takes them and turns them into these strange skittering textures of which you can only hear the smallest bit of the original. They are clipped up, reversed, re-arranged and re-textured in such a way as to imply that its is being said by beings speaking an incomprehensible language that somehow sounds familiar. For the best examples, listen to “Cryonic Resurrection” and “Shadow Integration.”

But outside of this wonderful use of vocal textures, there are tones of different textures at play as well.The wavering and weird sounds that sit on top of somewhat static drones feed into this otherworldly vibe so well. The clipped cut up feel of some of the more abstract sounds sits well but also uncomfortably with all the more drone-like elements. What’s really interesting about all of the arrangements is that there is a lot going on in each one, but it keeps this sparse feeling, like it’s sitting in such a large space that it can’t be filled. It is an interesting aesthetic that I think carries the theme of the album extremely well.