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Sunao Inami
How-Bow 2
Electr-ohm
Posted: Sunday, September 07, 2008
By: Trubie Turner
By: Trubie Turner
Dark, ambient, experimental, and most certainly not for everyone.
The follow-up to 2003's How-Bow, How-Bow 2 departs from Sunao Inami's more common, and much more universally palatable, glitchy IDM work to delve into a dark world of oppressive experimental ambient noise. Though this departure is a bit off putting at first listen, Inami's creativity and vigor are still very much a part of the album, though they are presented in a much more subdued manner that unfortunately makes this work quite a bit less universally accessible.
As with any dark ambient album, it can be difficult to walk the line between what is "just noise" and what can be taken as "song" or at the least, effective audio experimentation. While some tracks, such as "Ztock" or "W-Org-E" do blur that line quite a bit, other tracks such as "W-Org1" offer up a dark and ominous mood that is both relaxing and unsettling, or tracks like "Yun1" challenge the listener with gear grinding, metal on metal exploration. The strength of many of the tracks, however, lies in the subtly of them. "Canyon1" for example, if not paid attention to, can come across as one long droning track, yet with a closer listen it becomes evident that what is happening beneath the surface is actually quite interesting and engaging, even though it may not be immediately perceptible.
How-Bow 2 is sure to be a great treat to dark ambient aficionados, although there really isn't much to attract casual fans or those with a crossover interest. Fans of Sunao Inami's work may find themselves mildly disappointed at first listen, but given an opportunity, How-Bow 2 does have much to offer despite its occasionally overstated droning effect. The exceptionally bleak dark flavor of the album coupled with the very organic feel of its electronic elements make this a definite success, even though the album is most certainly tailored to a very niche audience.
As with any dark ambient album, it can be difficult to walk the line between what is "just noise" and what can be taken as "song" or at the least, effective audio experimentation. While some tracks, such as "Ztock" or "W-Org-E" do blur that line quite a bit, other tracks such as "W-Org1" offer up a dark and ominous mood that is both relaxing and unsettling, or tracks like "Yun1" challenge the listener with gear grinding, metal on metal exploration. The strength of many of the tracks, however, lies in the subtly of them. "Canyon1" for example, if not paid attention to, can come across as one long droning track, yet with a closer listen it becomes evident that what is happening beneath the surface is actually quite interesting and engaging, even though it may not be immediately perceptible.
How-Bow 2 is sure to be a great treat to dark ambient aficionados, although there really isn't much to attract casual fans or those with a crossover interest. Fans of Sunao Inami's work may find themselves mildly disappointed at first listen, but given an opportunity, How-Bow 2 does have much to offer despite its occasionally overstated droning effect. The exceptionally bleak dark flavor of the album coupled with the very organic feel of its electronic elements make this a definite success, even though the album is most certainly tailored to a very niche audience.
