Fluxeruopa - Stewart Gott (c) 2004
Natural sounds produced from found metal and welded stainless steel structures, this starts with a humming, clanging resonance that moves on to scrapes and clatters, then shifts to metallic whine and shimmering gong like sounds that reverberate from the speakers in a wash of deep, muted noise. Every new recording from Pholde AKA Knurl AKA Canadian Alan Bloor seems to offer more than its predecessors, and this disc is no exception. The extraordinary, ten minute long, closing track 'The Apex Toward The Observer' is amongst the best Bloor has produced under any moniker, and given that I rate two Knurl albums "Nocicept" and "Floritura Deuteranopia" amongst my all time top ten this is high praise indeed. Sometimes, when I wake from sleep, I hear voices in the darkened room; a few seconds and they cease abruptly, as if suddenly aware that I have woken up again. This may well be an indication of incipient lunacy, or benevolent spirits surrounding me, or may be down to something more mundane, such as inner ear disturbance (perhaps brought on by listening to Knurl records). Whatever, this sounds like the way I feel when I hear those voices - something that's knocking around on the periphery of your senses, that you can't martial or control. A fascinating, absorbing disc that defies categorisation, this one will drag you in to the speakers by your ears and force you to listen to it.