CD, Ewers Tonkunst/Indiestate Distribution, 2008
www.reutoff.ru/www.troum.com
An unexpected but very nice collaboration came our way. Reutoff is working on a series of collaborations entitled “Kreuzung”, and after the first one – where they worked with Antlers Mulm – and before the third one (Reutoff vs. Der Blutharsch), there is this brilliant second one in which Reutoff vs. Troum present “Kreuzung Zwei (Creatura Per Creaturam Continetur)”. All collaborations are being released by a combination of two Russian labels, Ewers Tonkunst and Indiestate Distribution, and these first three releases do make us curious of what will come in the future.
The forty-five minutes are divided into six tracks, slowly building towards an intense mixture of miniature noisescapes, neoclassical tapestries, ethnic rhythmic structures and eerie vocal samples. All titles are in Latin, and since that isn’t my strong point, I’ll leave translations to the readers’ enquiring minds.
The first track, “Aether Purus”, is typical for Troum, although the familiar bassy layering of Troum seems to have gone up in frequency; it’s all a bit higher. “Terrenus” has some partial neoclassical-like sounds, but it is set in a 1970s surrounding, “A Space Odyssey”-like environment. There are moments there that appear like insects stuck in your aural canal. Or is it really little aliens?
This setting is forcefully continued in the third (title) track where the Troum sounds find their way back into the composition. Later in the track rhythms are added to the composition. It is by far the longest track on the album. “Ignis Niger” is the fourth track and its creepy, erratic voices and samples really get you into a mood fit for watching a horror movie. Yes, two film references are my way of saying this whole release is very filmic. “Ignis Lucidus” has rhythms again, in combination with deep droning layers. It’s a bit close to atmospheres like O Yuki Conjugate. The disc closes with “Aer Aquosus (Reprise)” which is a short but powerful track in an adapted Troum style.
My knowledge of Reutoff is minimal, so maybe there are a few too many references towards Troum here, but on the other hand I love Troum, and this album is, despite the references, so different from their other work that I think I’m secretly going to like Reutoff a lot also.
[8.5/10]
— Bauke van der Wal