Strange Devicers - Orchid Terrace Preface

Released: July 14

A collaboration between Andrew Rowe and Matt Atkins, Strange Devicers' Orchid Terrace Preface is a bewlidering assortment of found sounds and voices played through intentionally malfunctioning cassette players and recorders. Strange rhythms appear sporadically alongside out of context dialogues and abrasive contact microphone madness with moments of chaos juxtaposed against a sort of calmness that fades away at a moments notice. While there are eleven tracks here, the listening experience is practically seamless, with barely a pause between each track giving the impression that it is one solid track, which makes for a cohesive experience of semi-controlled chaos. 

I found it difficult to pick out some of my favorites on this album, as I thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. That said, one of my favorite moments was in "Don't No Don't Just" as a degraded piano loop begins to play out repeatedly as the soft soft of glass-like clattering continues in the background. This piano loop further morphs into a long atonal drone that carries forward to the end of the track leading us into the next track "The Stampers." This was another moment I particulary enjoyed as it begins with soft tape hiss looping and re-spooling, eventually giving way to a clanging bell sound that brings in the narration of an unclear story, supposedly about a boy being pursued by some creature, being read aloud. Throughout the album, the selection of voices is astounding and the soft musical bits seem to be so perfectly random but appropriate. Another wonderful sonic experiment from the wheelhouse of Steep Gloss.