Russian project THORN1 is the creative vehicle of one Evgeny Zheyda, and is basically his one man band venture for exploring music mainly insides the scope of drones, ambient and post rock oriented landscapes from what I understand. “The Light of Random Star” is his second full length production as Thoirn1, and was released through US label Silber Records in the late summer of 2014.
The nine songs on this production does cover a fair bit of different musical ground, although a mainstay throughout is the use of either delicate fluttering melodic overlays or textured instrument motifs that does add a post rock oriented vibe to the proceedings, alongside the use of resonating or reverberating instrument details and various kinds of drone-oriented sounds.
Opening song Relict is a delicate, atmospheric laden combination of the aforementioned traits used to create a smooth, almost ethereal and ambient oriented cosmic landscape, while much darker toned sounds and effects dominate the later We Are Drowned, But We Do Not Exist, a dystopian and ominous creation that comes across pretty much as the direct opposite of the opening track yet still is pretty similar in being atmospheric laden and ambient oriented. Concluding track Heat Death of the Universe utilize similar effects but of a more dramatic nature, with a reverberating electric guitar drone creating a wall of noise slowly subsiding in intensity to allow textures more light in tone and spirit to be gradually revealed.
In between those three creations we’re treated to more distinct post rock flavored dronescapes and firmer creations using both post rock and drone oriented details in firmer song structures, such as the intriguing second track Clearly and Consciously. Electronic effects and rhythms enhances the striking and beautiful Vortex Gravity, a clear highlight on this production as I regard it, but we’re also treated to the odd excursion named The Color of Your Eyes, combining 80’s oriented synth pop, trance and a kind of minimalist take on 80’s pop Pet Shop Boys style into a confusing whole that even a compelling ambient trance sequence is unable to save from coming across as a detrimental oddity, at least for me.
Within the confines of music that combines the use of drones and post rock oriented effects to create a cohesive and recognizable atmosphere on an album, “The Light of Random Star” comes across as a rather varied an eclectic production. Within this finite context, to emphasize that aspect. It is also something of a roller-coaster ride, where for most some of the compositions ultimately will fell superfluous and out of place. An album worth checking out for the good bits then, and presumably those with a liberal taste for music that use drones and post rock details as a part of a greater totality might be considered a key audience for this album.
My rating: 71/100
