Dark Pathways 3: Variant Archive

Artist: Dark Pathways 3
CD Title: Variant Archive (Compilation)
Label: Crunch Pod Media
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 8/19/04

On the third and final compilation in Crunch Pod’s “Dark Pathways” series, things get more weird and abstract, moving away from dark ambient and rhythmic noise into the realm of glitch music. Bound together by noisy electronic textures, deconstructed samples, and rhythms too weird for dancing but too unsettling for chill-out music, the various artists here range from deliberately confrontational to almost pleasant. The deep hisses of machinery and reverberating, disembodied voices of Form/Alkaline’s “Societies” stands out for its spooky atmosphere, while the soft tones and distorted beats of Fractal Spine’s “001” are strangely soothing. Der Stahlhelm DS gives us psychedelia via notebook computer on “Row the Knife Across the Dripping Sky,” while the orchestral breakbeats of Imperial Floral Assault Unit conjure up images of some futuristic army on “Wise Choices for Ignorant Barbarians.” Naked Intruder’s contribution of “Amaro Reborn” is particularly noteworthy, as well; with choked yells and dense synthesizers layered over paranoid electro rhythms, it’s a bit like Skinny Puppy strung out on crack. This stuff isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea – it’s strident, intellectual, and at times very difficult to listen to – but for fans of noise, dark ambient, and glitch music, this is a very solid collection of tracks.

Check out the other compilations in this series at www.crunchpodmedia.com.