thisquietarmy - Erosion

 

Released: September 18

Consisting of four intertwined yet discrete tubes, Erosion is a massive block of experimental guitar textures fed through all manners of manipulative effects to create these almost hyper-expansive soundscapes. You might expect it be all manipulation of feedback loops, and that is part of it. But Eric Quach, under his alias of thisquietarmy, has a rather peculiar knack for including more conventional techniques in along with his manipulation of feedback and electronic noise. For most of the first quarter, signified as “Groundswell” these massive waves of distorted feedback rule the day, slowly ebbing in and out like waves crashing on to the shore and then receding in a swell of distortion. The following track however, leaves this distortion mostly behind, focusing on a repeated washed out chord that loops itself over and over. In the peripheries of the track though, waves of soft distortion float around as a synth-like drone slowly works its way into the mix, building on the loop beautifully and adding further weight to the atmosphere. 

In the second half of the album, the intensity of this already heavy album is amplified. “Rouge Wave” starts on soft ground, but quickly intensifies into a crushing wall of sound. The perceived height of this sound is immense, a towering and insurmountable wall that is slowly tumbling towards the viewer. That’s much like what this track feels like. It comes on so strong and so fast from its original soft straying point that it feels almost overwhelming. However, this dynamic changes dramatically as we approach the final movement, “Never Turn Your Back On the Ocean.” The final piece comes in which twinkling guitar chords that gradually morph into dark ambient textures, The distortion creeps in slowly, adding weight and then shifting wildly throughout the remainder of the track. By the end of the track, these textures have becomes barely cognizant noises, struggling to move under their own weight.