Thavius Beck’s Decomposition is yet another
challenging genre bending release from Mush, his debut
for the label. With this album, Beck vows to explore
the concept of death and decay, giving the project a
dark twist from the beginning, yet elements of life
keep on popping up all the way through.
Beck first came into contact with music aged nine, when
he learned to play the alto sax, but it is his encounter
with electronic instruments, at the age of twelve, during
a summer arts camps, that defined the realm in which
he now evolves. Once a member of loose collective Global
Phlowtation, Beck first became known under his Adlib
moniker with his 2000 album Save Us. With Decomposition,
he takes the concept of dark electronica and industrial
hip-hop to new heights, producing an album that is at
once intriguing and disturbing. Although the majority
of the tracks on here are instrumental, Beck has a way
to inject vocal samples into his sonic constructions
to give them more substance and accentuate in the process
their impact.
Combining the clever use of beats of Timbaland with
the sharp melodic edge of Boards
Of Canada, Beck deals with stark industrial soundscapes
and dark atmospheric elements, twisting melodies and
beats to the extreme to create dense sonic canvases
on which he, at times, adds vocals (himself on Open
Your F*@ing Eyes, Subtitle on June Gloom,
Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala on Amongst
The Shadows and Longevity on Demons Of Destruction),
or at others just throws in some random vocal samples.
Decomposition is based around themes of death
and decay, yet Beck also seems to reflect on perversion,
either through his sonic landscapes or melodic arrangements.
Beats are sliced up, sounds lacerated, vocals filtered
and treated, then reassembled with great care to support
the atmospheric structure of the record. Building his
soundtracks around samples of guitars, pianos and strings,
augmented of electronic noises, Thavius weaves hypnotic
constructions aimed at destabilising his audience. From
the onset of Miasma to the last moments of
Some Call It The End, the atmosphere is heavy
and oppressing. Despite a few lighter moments (To
Make Manifest, which appears at first almost pastoral,
or On The Axis Of Misunderstanding), Beck retains
the substance of his soundscapes to the end.
With this first album under his name, twenty four year
old Thavius Beck demonstrate an interesting approach
to darkcore electronica and hip-hop structures and develops
his own sound, close to that of label mate Octavius
in some ways. If not entirely original, Decomposition
remains a fascinating record.
4.4/5 |
