Oh man. Is it possible to be more excited about Fennesz’s upcoming conceptual Endless Summer sequel Bécs? I think not. If “The Liar” is any indication of the album as a whole, then Bécs is going to truly recapture all the grit and beauty of early Fennesz releases with an augmented vocabulary of new sonic techniques.
It’s not that Fennesz hasn’t made some great stuff in the last few years, but recent works (save for Fenn O’Berg’s masterfulIn Hell) have typically been lovely subdued exercises in droning ambiance. “The Liar,” on the other hand, is all fuzzed-out glitch guitar, buzzing drones, and ethereal synth harmonies. There are times when the extreme filtered distortion of the guitar-based sounds blend so subtly with the crystalline synths that it almost recalls the dichotomy between distortion and melody present in early black metal. The track is a fantastic example of Fennesz’s innate ability at creating sound worlds that are alternately challenging yet beautiful and endlessly listenable.
Bécs will be released April 28th via Editions Mego.
• Fennesz: http://www.fennesz.com
• Editions Mego: http://www.editionsmego.com