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THF Drenching - Soul On Ice (review)

 

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This is a hidden gem. I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like this. I also don’t quite know what it is. It’s hard to tell by the sound of it. It may actually be a musique concrete piece and not an improvisation, but I think it has such an improvisatory feeling to it that I feel it’s worth categorising as improvisation. I suspect that THF Drenching quite enjoys leaving the listeners a bit confused about what he’s doing. His liner notes that I found on archive.org was not explanatory but just confused me further.

It’s sort of reminiscent of the old musique concrete records of the 50’s and 60’s, but I think it sounds very influenced by the British style of free improv, which gives it an interesting and original feeling. The samples are hard to identify, but there could possibly be sounds of birds, videogames, typewriters… but it’s hard to tell, and that’s also the charm of it. The listeners suddenly find themselves in a world of unknown sound sources, unknown methods and logic and therefore get the relief of not knowing, being faced with a blank sheet and an openness to explore the unknown.

This music is a state of mind. It’s go to-places are rapid movements, single sounds, silences and a kind of bird-like sense of rhythm. Samples are reused in different ways throughout the whole piece. Just like birdsong might make you feel calm, the rapid phrases and extreme changes of direction bring about a certain calmness in me. It varies in many different ways and often surprises you. When you think something is about to intensify, there comes a section that sounds like a mouse playing a march on a tiny drum. Or a very silent static white noise. Loud sounds come unexpectedly too. Mostly the sounds are single, but in the more intense moments there are layered sounds. These changes of density create a very intense effect.

Drenching is pushing the border of what the ear can tolerate in terms of hyperactivity, but he doesn’t cross the border. He saves the music from becoming too much, by reusing certain materials and movements, and also through variation and contrast. The timing and taste of what he chooses each moment shows evidence of a very intelligent person. There’s also variation from variation. To contrast the very varied sections with a more simple section. It’s done in so many different ways, and I’m sure someone could do a deep analysis of the microdetails, but I feel content just enjoying the results. To listen to this record is ear-stretching and imagination-inducing. Highly recommended!

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