We last checked in with Now Orleanian (??) post-rock artist Dying Machines back in 2013. Back then
i reviewed the second release from this project, an enjoyable electronic neo-classical album called
What I have Not Forgotten. So what has Mr. Buschbach been up to since then?
According to his website: "The third album, a full-length entitled Someday Home was
completed and to be released in late 2014, however, as a result of licensing negotiations it has
frustratingly not yet seen the light of day."
Ouch. And he changed record labels... Huh. Something happened there, and my guess is that it
involves contracts and lawyers and general nastiness. I hope that it works out for him.
But Buschbach moved on from that setback and recorded another record, You. So
this is his fourth record, but only the third one released. And it is what i have come to expect from Dying
Machines. This is a record of slow ambient tunes that combine classical and electronic elements. There
are ten tracks in about 45 minutes, and all of them are pretty worthwhile but i am only going to go over
my favorites here.
Turn is a really pretty song that starts with slow piano and grows with layers of drone and
strings until it achieves a nice density. His layering is really lovely here, the sounds overlapping each
other but never overpowering.
The title track is a little different for Dying Machines in that it is almost rocking. Almost. Here
Buschbach layers in horns and something that sounds like an overdriven guitar. It grows really slowly,
spiraling into a dense noise fest.
He is giving the track Lucid away on his
website (just right-click this link and "Save as" your very own MP3). I think this is a good example of
what Dying Machines do and i would sum up this song as "Keith Jarrett collaborating with Fennesz".
There is a nice piano bit as the base layer, and over this Buschbach brings in layers of fuzzy noise.
And finally i have to mention Just Beyond, a song so minimal that it is almost silent, consisting
just of a faint warbling drone and a barely tinkling piano. It kind of fades the album to an end.
And i am impressed. Once again Dying Machines have made something interesting. I hope that
Buschbach gets his third album back, because his music is worth hearing. Fans of ambient music will
want to hear this. |
