Hailing from Denmark, Silo are Frederik Ammitzbøll (guitars), Mikkel Bender (bass) and Søren Dahlgaard (drums) – and this is their first self released album from own label Novennial Paralysis. Interestingly enough though, this is not their first musical output – having released two albums already via Swim Records (the independent label founded by Wire frontman Colin Newman and his wife Malka Spigel), Instar (1998) and Alloy (2001). Thirteen years later, they’ve regrouped with the collective recordings and reworkings of the past decade – and the results are a collection of discordant and distorted digital soundscapes that welcome you with open arms, as long as you have an open mind that’s ready to be rewarded.
Opener ‘Filaments’ fades into your brain, and immediately wraps itself around it, using repetitive riffs from jagged fuzzed up guitar and bass to latch onto your consciousness with no intention of letting go. Random jazz style drums that sit perfectly in the mix also surround you, with each beat and rhythm securing your attention for the rest of the album. Frederik’s vocals slide easily in on next track ‘Mechanics’, silky smooth and sounding exactly like Mark Lanegan would if he didn’t smoke a hundred cigarettes a day. As ‘Stationary’ follows, the hooks are in deep, you’re caught up, and your curiosity will lead you on to discover what’s going to happen next.
There are riffs as heavy as a football field of double-decker buses here, but it’s the way that the guitars are “digitally sculpted and processed” that changes the sonic landscape completely, and will have you wondering what other instruments (if any) are being used here. And when High Priest and M. Sayyid (of Antipop Consortium) are found on ‘Cabinn Fever’ (sic), you’re suddenly thrown a curveball, as these guys are waxing lyrical waves of literate ammunition, heading straight towards you.
Other guests include Maria Hamer-Jensen, who lends her very seductive and soothing vocals to ‘Power Points’ as dense slabs of noise crash around your ears. And during the ever changing tempo of ‘O’ (Important: if you are playing this song on vinyl, rest assured, your record player is NOT fucked!) Mew’s Jonas Bjerre can be heard crooning within a whirlpool of swirling sounds – making you dizzy, but you’ll still want to stay on this ride for sure!
Within its repetitions of surgically altered guitar/bass sounds and chameleon like drums, there’s so many subtle changes of layers being taken away and added again that your attention will be kept throughout the intrigue. If you’re reading this, the best thing to do right now is to let your ears follow your eyes – close the door, and open yourself to some amazing sonic craftsmanship you will definitely want to hear again!
