Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Black Chamber - Sonny

Hear The Track Here

Kinda strange to be reviewing a track called this in a week in which the better known Sunny (by Bobby Hebb who sadly died earlier this month) resounds around the world. Funny how it takes a death to appreciate someone, isn't it? Of course I am aware that the spelling is different and - in my view - a more telling point is that it's by Black Chambers, an experimental electronica musician from Canada who has warped out reality a time or two, or two, or two, or two... For example, and in evidence, I print the following: 'There was a hole here. It's gone now' which is Black Chambers explanation of what Sonny is all about. So, if there was a hole there and it's gone now, its obviously been filled somehow

(Ed: Gilmore, I'm not sure I like where this is leading....you hear??)

The question is filled by what? If past experiences with this musician are anything to go by, it will be a memorable one, although maybe not in a pleasurable way. Caution, mad scientist alert!! Talking of which, if I didn't know any better I'd say this was an ambient recording of his lab while he was at his labours constructing some hideous thing from the Underworld. By now I suspect many of you will have figured out that Black Chambers is a 'difficult' musician and are edging away in the usual yellow bellied way, and believe me you'd be right to do that because Sonny ranks right up there with some of his more obscure pieces.

As a long time, regular reviewer I have had my brain extensively rewired over the years by members of Soundclick's ever popular experimental community and I'll admit to having developed a tolerance, nay some would say an iron sonic stomach, but there will always be some things I don't get. Or maybe there is nothing to get. Black Chamber has shown, in the space of a few tracks that this is seriously experimental territory and IMHO I think this is more correctly labelled Noise (and I mean that in a nice way). Mind you, it's only a couple of minutes long but even a couple of minutes can seem like an eternity when trapped in the lab of the mad scientist so best approached with a level 4 hazard complement.

Probably audio honey for budding Igors.

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