The name of the game here is make it big and bring it down. Tension and release. It's a path taken so often and it really takes someone special to make it work for me. Dirac pulls it off quite well.

"Phon" is one long track 40 plus minutes long. It was recorded in one take and one studio session with Post Production happening later. You can hear the cohesion of a live recording. You can also tell that they are experienced. There is very little "wrong note" playing happening here. If anything that's my only complaint. It's too perfect, but can you really fault someone too much for that. They have an aim in mind and that aim was fulfilled superbly.

This feels like 2 movements too me. The starts with a long sustained tone and a looped guitar. A couple of rumbles and off we go. They bring it into a pretty serious harmonic fervor. I like the sporadic use of harmonica, creating an isolation vibe. It's an immense sound, pushing my speakers to use as much frequency range as possible.
The second build up is considerably larger and amazing. Sustained tones. A loud electric guitar coming through the mix with heavy distortion just cutting away. It hits a Theatre of Eternal Music level for a while and there is a steady knock happening in the background, giving it a heartbeat of sorts. It's a living drone that almost gets out of control, but never too far. There are professionals at work here after all.

It ends with my favorite section, which is a collection of field recordings very well put together reminding me that we're human after all. Some water sounds, some church bells and clanging metal. Everything is placed well in stereo and it's spacial elements actually make me feel like I'm standing in a park in my hometown, at recess.
Their website says that they are involved in the sound art and installation scenes in Austria. I would love to see them in that setting, but I could also see them in the Constellation Records catalog. I'm curious to hear more, but I would like a little less starch in the collar. Nonetheless, highly recommended. 9/10 -- Zach Zinn (28 July, 2010)