Bestia Centauri – The Self Immolation Rite
This is the first pro-CD release from Somnambulant Records after a long line of well done CDR’s, and again they have done a nice job with the packaging. It’s a jewelcase CD that comes with a good sized full color booklet. “The Self Immolation Rite” consists of 4 seemingly untitled tracks all between 11 and 13 minutes long. The concept of this piece relates to a group called The Order of the Nine Angles, who asked Beastia Centauri to contribute sonically to this rite. The project was given free reign to re-interpret or invent something all their own, and chose the later. All of this is outlined in greater detail in the booklet. I have actually heard the ONA’s rendition of this, and reviewed it at some point in Worm Gear’s history. I agree with the Bestia Centauri position that the original piece was too literal and that all of the spoken elements prevented the mind from wandering too far, in fact I’m almost certain that was the gist of my review. Perhaps as a ritual that was necessary, but as a transcendent piece of music it was in the way. This re-imagined version of the rite has done away with that and allowed the imagination to dictate the course. The pieces are based around a spacious sort of ambient drift, but are well layered and active with lots of different bits of electronics, faded reverberations, inhuman creature type sounds (and I mean that in the best way possible, there is nothing remotely hokey about this), sweeping textures and a general feeling of descent. That of falling past layer upon layer of oddity and introspection. The surrealism of dream and delirium. This for me is the most interesting of the Bestai Centauri material that I have heard, and it surpasses the original rendition of “The Self Immolation Rite” in virtually everyway for me as a listener vs. a practitioner. The depth and detail that is woven into this and the evolution of the sound and mood paints just enough of a picture that the imagination can get a foothold and yet doesn’t dictate anything. Depending on your frame of mind, personal history and affections this piece of music could lead you down any number of paths and that to me is a far more effective and inspired work than something that takes you by the hand and narrates. – Scott
SOMNAMBULANT RECORDS
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