Hypnodrone Ensemble: The Problem Is In The Sender – Do Not Tamper With The Receiver
DL | Cassette
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Hypnodrone Ensemble unleash their latest sprawling, experimental and suitably hypnotic sonic odyssey via Cruel Nature Records. Andy Brown shares his thoughts for Louder Than War.
When it comes to drone and experimental music, the name Aidan Baker comes as a reliable sign of quality. The prolific Canadian musician has created and been part of more albums than you can shake a rather sizable stick at and maintained a steady presence on the experimental ‘scene’ since records began (well, for a long time anyways). The first iteration of the Hypnodrone Ensemble emerged in 2014 and featured Baker, Thisquietarmy guitarist Eric Quach and three drummers. Over the years, Baker and Quach have remained constant while the project has utilised a revolving cast of collaborators. The Problem Is In The Sender – Do Not Tamper With The Receiver finds the duo joined by Fiona McKenzie (drums), Angela Martinez Muñoz (drums), Sara Neidorf (drums), Gareth Sweeney (bass) and Lane Shi Otayoni (voice). What follows is a sprawling, improvisational odyssey to some sublime, polyrhythmic paradise. I hope you’ve packed sandwiches.
Describing an album as a journey may seem a tad clichéd yet it most certainly suits this 70-minute, psychedelic epic. The near-fifteen-minute opening track, Transit, ensures there’s a real sense of scale from the get-go. A truly majestic piece composed of trance-inducing rhythms and wordless, almost prayer-like wailing. To be clear, Otayonii’s performance is absolutely spellbinding. Her vocals with Elizabeth Colour Wheel are wild yet here they’re damn near elemental. The whole ensemble is utterly lost in an ecstatic swell of transcendental sound; I wouldn’t be surprised if they all started levitating when this jam was first unfurled. You can practically hear them break through the clouds as they drift ever heavenward. If you were expecting anything remotely formulaic then Transit should have adequately readjusted your expectations. As a wise man once said, where we’re going, we don’t need roads.
Our journey continues as Desdemona envelopes us in eight minutes of jazzy, slow burning psych. The rhythm section is effortlessly hypnotic as Otayoni’s vocals lure us to the shore like some benevolent siren. Despite being named after a tragic character in Otello, it’s an incredibly soothing piece of music. Underdogs begins with spacey electronics and the clattering of instruments before gradually expanding into the psychedelic stratosphere. The near-fifteen-minute track evokes the heat haze of the desert and the blurry, mysterious mirage that’s always just out of reach. To these ears, it’s absolutely blissful. If Denis Villeneuve needs some music for the next Dune film, he should definitely consider giving the Hypnodrone Ensemble a call. Alchemia is a gorgeous, eight-minute slice of shimmering post-rock. It cuts off before it can really go through the ceiling but the ensemble soon counteracts this relative brevity with a humongous 25-minute closer.
Punctum finds the Berlin-based collective at the very peak of their powers. It’s a ‘bonus track’ yet this gigantic space ritual feels like a very apt conclusion to our trip. The dual drums propel us forwards as drones and unearthly tones whiz past our ears. Otayoni sounds like she’s practically invented her own language by this point as she responds to the waves of celestial sound building all around her. The collective creates a vast ocean of otherworldly noise, with Otayoni sitting atop of piece of driftwood as she calmly floats through a sea of stars. The ebb and flow of the bands improvisational sprawl is nothing short of mesmerising. The track escalates to a cathartic outpouring of noise that will leave jaws on the floor. If we could tune into the sound of space, the endless hum of the universe, then this my friend is what we would hear.
It’s to the albums credit that the last 70-minutes appear to have passed by like a dream. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a collective called Hypnodrone Ensemble, the album provides a hypnotic and satisfyingly immersive experience. And yes, this is an album you really need to experience. Fans of psych, drone, Krautrock and the improvisational spirit of jazz will certainly find plenty to love. Cruel Nature Records really have outdone themselves again as they continue to shine a light on a plethora of diverse and interesting new music. The Problem Is In The Sender – Do Not Tamper With The Receiver is a refreshing and inspired album that flows through the speakers with grace and sonic exploration at its core. A blissful, groove-laden creation destined to enchant all those susceptible to its mesmeric and distinctly experimental spell.
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You can find Hypnodrone Ensemble on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.
Find Cruel Nature Records on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/ X and Bandcamp.
All words by Andy Brown. You can visit his author profile and read more of his reviews for Louder Than War here.
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