This double 3? cdr on the rather obscure Shut Up! I Love You imprint is the much-needed proof that droning this side of the great names can still be unpretentious and rewarding. I have to admit that the double 3? thing (housed in meticulously folded, colourfully dotted baby-blue paper) is cute but also a bit tiresome as it means you cannot listen through the whole thing in one session. That would be particularly worthwhile here, though, as the two tracks represent two entirely different approaches to drone music ? two approaches that could have been juxtaposed more conveniently on one cd. The idea is clear, however: two different kinds of drones, two cds. Makes sense.

Insect Factory?s ?Mirrored Nerve Endings? feature on the first cd, and the track title sets the tone perfectly for the exploration of ambient drones that is to follow. Nerve endings are indeed tickled here, not in a clinical or even sterile way, but by a multitude of outdoor images. The slow progression of electronic drones has the very natural feel of juicy meadows and clear water. Over 14 minutes of soothing, if a bit unspectacular, listening.

?Aspect of Wolf?, the Grasshopper track, is the harsher of the two. The track stumbles into life with shimmering industrial noises. Around the five-minute-mark, these gradually give way to more and more layers of feedback. At times these ebb away until they sound like a wolf?s heartbeat on ultrasound, at times they they are shaken by the clatter of what sounds like a giant windspiel made of knives. These changes of atmosphere never sound forced. ? Of the two tracks I prefer the Grasshopper?s as it?s more varied and engaging. It?s also the longer piece, clocking in at 19 minutes. This is not a big, but a charming release. As it isn?t put out by one of the usual drone cdr imprints, this release is a pleasant surprise. Limited to 75 and still available, it?s well worth getting. 6/10 -- Jan-Arne Sohns (29 April, 2008)