The Autumn Project Clipping

ABSOLUTE ZERO INTERVIEW - (Look in 2006 Interview Archive)

DRAKE MAG ARTICLE

UNRESTRAINED! INTERVIEW

 

 

NEW REVIEWS FOR "A BURNING LIGHT!

 

A Burning Light - Absolute Zero

Atmospheric, memezerizing soundscapes in a very post rock back drop it sounds a lot like the mellower moments of Mogwai or Sliver mt zion. The about 7 mins in it becomes this epic orchestral post rock wall or majesty that only could be what Godspeed your black emperor or Sigor Ros would present. The 1st track is 14 mins long and worth every 14 mins to listen to. This is a release you turn off the lights , put the headphones on and absorb as much as you can in each release and always remember you can go back to and get more from . The Autumn Project's will have an interview in our pages soon. For now find everything this project does and find your self lucky to just know of a such a band this is just jaw droppingly good .

 

A Burning Light - Crucial Blast

Excellent cinematic heaviness from the midwestern trio The Autumn Project, whose meditative post rock glides blissfully through huge slabs of crushing, heavenly distortion. Yeah, there are a LOT of bands out there doing the metallic post-rock thing, and I'm generally a sucker for anything along these lines, but The Autumn Project do manage to stand out from the masses of Godspeed / Mogwai disciples by adding incredibly lush atmosphere to their music with multiple layers of sparkling keyboards and rich electronic textures. The songs also don't quite follow the quiet-build-to-crushing-crescendo structure employed by most of the post-Mogwai/Isis bands, and instead move horizontally over lengthy passages of pure static feedback drone, complex math-rock drumming, and triumphant melodies that dissipate into pure free-drone bliss and growling formless guitar noise. Very beautiful and edgeless music, particularly the epic "Between The Smoke And Mirrors" which has a breathtaking heavy hook that appears halfway through the song, and the heavy parts have a weird, processed tone to them that sounds more ethereal than metallic, while still being pretty freaking heavy, as delay and effects drenched guitars send silver arcs tracing across the horizon. This disc sort of reminds me of a mix of (a less distorted) The Angelic Process and Labradford, The Cure's Disintegration and Kranky Records drone, Sigur Ros and Godspeed You! Black Emperor all wrapped up into a majestic series of instrumental sound designs, and is one of the best and most memorable new "post rock" albums I've heard this year. Fans of Souvenirs Young America's quirky instrumentals should definitely check this band out, but this is going to be a hit with anybody that is into the instrumental post-metal zeitgeist. The booklet and packaging also has a lot of neat looking illustrations and brief text that give this the feel of a children's book. Recommended. -Crucial Blast

 

FABLE RE-ISSUE REVIEWS

 

'Fable' by Enough Fanzine
10/21/05
Music which is perfect for this October morning.
It´s 8:30 AM, still a little foggy outside, but the sun is slowly coming up. Autumn Project´s music is as slowly evolving as this day. Originally released in 2003, the signs of the time (isn´t this kind of music much more popular now, than it was 2 years ago? I think so, luckily!) got this CD back in print on Imagine It Records, who are releasing some other quite interesting bands, too. Taking their time, these three guys are building up tension and atmosphere just like the masters of instrumental postrock (think of Mogwai or Godspeed). Epic and meditative soundscapes interrupted be heavy outbursts just to calm down again. Sure, Autumn Project aren´t reinventing the genre, but their contribution to it is among the best of all the albums currently around, so be sure to check this one out!

 

'Fable' by Splended E-zine
10/12/05
Listeners were impressed with The Autumn Project's second full-length (well, we were, at least), so they've reissued their debut, an hour-long document of a cinematic rock band figuring out where they fall within the Labradford/Sigur Rós continuum. Contrary to what their emo-as-fuck moniker might suggest, no particular mood or tone ever wins out, but that's fine -- the threesome proves quite flexible, whether they're indulging teenage air guitar fantasies over Algebra II-level math drumming ("Right/Left Thinktank"), blocking the sun with looping ambient drones ("The History of Easterly Migration Westward"), or wrapping faint acoustic guitar tones in wintry electronics ("The Dustbowl Rose Again"). Whatever the band's surface aesthetics, most of Fable's songs suffer from a lack of movement -- either too little or none at all. It isn't surprising, then, that The Project are most interesting during "The Buffalo Vs. The Bottomless Cliff", in which they jerk between translucent synth interludes, delay pedal overtures and a final, punishing rockout.

 

'Fable' by Unrestrained! Magazine

Issue #29
In this day and age as a magazine editor you get inundated with tons and tons of spam e-mail from every label and indie band under the sun plugging their stuff. You try and pay attention (“try” is the key word here), but a lot of it falls to the wayside. It’s just the way it is. But every once in a while an e-mail or message catches your attention and that’s how I discovered the work of The Autumn Project (it was their album artwork). The band, an instrumental post-rock trio, was indeed worth investigating as their brilliant and epic song structures and atmosphere truly is mesmerizing, akin to the sounds of Isis, Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor. Lush sonic overtones nestled amongst a flowing source of creativity. This is the kind of record you can throw on and chill out to, riding each emotional wave without a care in the world. And with all the shit going on in the world, we need albums like this. Thanks, The Autumn Project. 

<Adrian Bromley> -8-

 

 

'La Luna de Negra' by Splendid E-zine

08/23/05

At this point in the game, setting out to create instrumental post-rock music is a perilous proposition. In addition to the arguable fact that the genre's heyday has already come and gone, each day seems to bring a new entry into post-rock's already swollen ranks. However, the great thing about well-executed instrumental music, despite its absence of easily hummable vocal melodies and the everpresent hazard of self-indulgence, is that it offers the possibility for a greater emotional connection with listeners than would be afforded by traditional three-minute pop songs. It allows you the freedom to find meaning in your own way, to find melody in places where you normally wouldn't listen for it. Accordingly, many listeners will find considerable emotional depth and deeply personal meaning in La Luna De Negra's sonic landscape.

The album's six songs are (rather lamely) titled numerically, from "One" to "Six" according to their position in the track sequence. Still, something about such an unpretentious naming scheme suggests a certain amount of faith in each song's ability to build a rapport with listeners, even without a clever title. On this score, The Autumn Project succeed. La Luna deftly explores the perilous shoals of instrumental post-rock, creating beautifully dissonant sonic collages -- gorgeous, intense pieces that are just a little too long-winded for widespread appeal.

The disc opens with almost inaudible text spoken by a computerized voice over rumbling synth and subdued guitar. Then we're into the piece's first real movement, a wash of expansive shoegazer guitar, bass and crash-heavy percussion. An ambient synth washes over us, leading the piece into its more subdued second movement, as a back-and-forth bass riff sets the mood.

Each of the songs averages about 11 minutes, and they're mostly composed of similar musical elements, so if you're not paying attention, it can all start to blend together. A few persistent musical themes reinforce the aural déjà vu. Aside from the reversed synth that kicks off "Two", the track seems to cover much the same ground as "One", particularly in its near-identical progressions and dynamic shifts. The chilling delayed guitar and ambient noise at the outset of "Three", however, take us somewhere entirely new. The drums kick in with a tom-heavy, African-sounding beat. Meanwhile, the band introduces an uncompromising synth hum that's at once chilling and beautiful (you may find yourself reciting Star Trek's "Space, the final frontier..." monologue, in spite of yourself) as "Three" leads into "Four", LLDN's best, and shortest, cut. Here, the arpeggiated guitar lines gradually grow in volume and intensity, and eventually culminate in swells of reverb-drenched melody that will hook you and never let go.

The only real criticism you can aim at La Luna involves the indulgent length of most of its tracks -- and in a sense, that's begging the question. The Autumn Project are not a study in efficiency, and that's fine; efficiency was obviously not their intention. If you're patient enough to wade through some repetitive, hypnotic post-rock meandering, you'll discover a collage of beautiful melodies destined to earn a place in your heart. It's hard to believe that this much beautiful noise is coming from only three people.

 

'La Luna de Negra' by Punk Planet

Issue #66

The Autumn Project play slow, unearthly, instrumental music that is as times so lush you forget they are but three people armed with guitar, bass, drums and keyboards.  They start each song minimally, then build gradually into walloping crescendos and finish by tapering back down.  This is emotional music that puts into a trance with visions of Arctic floes and glacial movements.  The songs are basically untitled, as they are only listed by track number.  The creepy "Six" contains samples of people talking about the Book of Revelations and burning rock n' roll records, which is blasphemy for those of us who attend the church of Rock 'n Roll. (SJ)

 

Links to Various Interviews and Stories

-Indieworkshop.com Interview

-Des Moines Register

-Iowa State University Daily

-Juice

 

 

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