Blanck Mass: Blanck Mass
This album could be described in fractions: Blanck Mass is Benjamin John Power, half of Fuck Buttons and on first listen sounds like Fuck Buttons minus the beats, hence half of their sound. This should translate into something half as enjoyable, but thankfully it doesn’t.
Many of the tracks on Blanck Mass consist of sumptuous swathes of blissful synths. ‘Sundowner’ is glitter and fuzz and with its soaring melody generates an overwhelming desire to enjoy it at the time specific to its title. ‘Chernobyl’ demands an image gallery of decaying buildings and ruined playgrounds being colonised by an ever rampant nature. The organic and natural is brought to the fore again on ‘Raw Deal’ with its distanced insect chirps, modified bird song and the odd far-off growl.
On ‘Sub Serious’, with its bubbling undertow and forest echoes, this natural pulse borders too close to the territory of New Age ambient meditations. Thankfully the surging enormity of ‘Land Disasters’ and the almighty oceanic depths of ‘What You Know’ arrive to dispel these concerns.
Blanck Mass has many beautiful and lavish moments and only one track that comes close to disappointment. Considering the amount of aural pigswill out there it’s worth seeking out, right? Purchase
Land Disasters:
Posted on July 13, 2011, in album reviews and tagged Blanck Mass, fuck buttons. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
I was sold less than two minutes into ‘Land Disasters’. Great cover art too.
It’s certainly the best on the album. And respect to you for finding this in the first place. Props!