REVIEW: B.C.E, the Debut CDR by IdI*AMIN

"Harmolodic Modulation;" its a concept explored by Ornette Coleman in his masterpiece "Skies of America" in which he purposefully voiced certain parts in stark contrast of eachother in order to create an aural illusion of earth and sky: a tonal environment intended to represent physical space.

Whether or not it was their intention, IdI Amin has successfully created a similar effect on their debut album "B.C.E." From the first track on, this work created a vivid sound portrait in my mind of a virtual Antichton of the Pythagoreans, or counter world, in which I could practically see the black trees growing downward into a bubbling black gloo, with their roots extended out into the gravity free void.

The high pitched intonation of Michael Chamy's sin wave generator creates a desolate sounding sonic wind that weaves itself through the beastial blurts and squeals of Mike Forbes's sax clashing with the atonal, metallic scrapes of Nevada Hill's guitar.

On the second track "Carbide" one can imagine from the filtered and flanged pops and belches, the bubbling primordial goo that the savage sounds of this record seem to have arisen from. These sounds range from the quiet brooding and buildup of tracks like "GNU" and "Pomba Gira" to the all out tribal warfare of scathing noise and scattershot percussion presented in tracks like "Angioplasma" and "Cro Magnon."

Metal often gets pegged as the official music for all that is dark in this world, If that's true, IdI Amin is the official music for all that is dark in the universe.

-J.M. 7/13/06

ps. you can listen to some tracks and buy this album here