2350.org - Namlook VI

This album contains the most impressive beats I have ever heard and felt. You can experience them immediately on track 5 and after a minute or two on track 1. I think you should call 'em beatscapes. They sound like what an atomic blast looks like: the subtle ignition, followed by -- in slow motion -- the wave that comes your way, penetrates your whole body and finally crushes with massive air pressure.

Pete Namlook is to be loved for the extreme attention he pays to the crafting of those sub sounds and it would not surprise me that if you could get a few Hertz lower, you still would detect meandering movements of almost impossible to hear, yet so tangible air displacement.

I added 3 Phoenix Gold amps to the car audio system and each time I share this + 1000 Watt moment with friends we start laughing in disbelief! OK, this is not your free airco and radio package by Toyota, but with titles in the FAX series as AMP, AIR, AMPII one might suspect that this music only reveals all of its beauty when lead through thick cables into FASCINATING INSTRUMENTS.

For me this is reason enough to praise this album, although it surely isn't the how to convince my wife album, but that probably counts for the whole Namlook series. As Steve Luckabaugh says -- read his very objective review -- a disturbing yet fascinating album.

(review by Jean-Marc Dekesel)

The disc consists of 1 long piece that has been Namlookized (i.e., broken into 11 segments).

This is a very hard disc to review because the sounds and composition are very strange, but I shall do my best.

It starts with some very strange sounds, moans and warbly sounds, something out of a horror movie perhaps? At about the 3 min mark the Moog(?) comes in with very heavy and dark chords. At about the 7:30 mark, some bass joins the mix, then the beat kicks in along with some wooshy sounds. Over the next 10 minutes or so, some odd synthesizers come and go with high and loud bursts (hard to explain). Then everything cuts out and there's some odd warbly Moog(?) experimenting before drummy sounding things start back up. Another 5 minutes or so later, moans and groans start up and then the Benedictine Monks join the mix :) Ok, It's not really the Benedictine Monks but it sounds like that. The monks drop out after about 3 mins, and it's back to just the bass, then the Moog comes back with the heavy and dark chords. Then some bongo type percussion, then the basic beat comes back. A whistle sounding thing joins and then something that sounds like vocal samples all messed up. I've heard the sound in another Namlook but can't remember which one. For the remainder of the disc, various synth parts come and go, the groans come and go, the beat comes and goes, etc. Nothing stays around for more then a few minutes before fading out and being replaced by something else, only to return a few minutes later. A very interesting effect I might add.

Overall impression: Perhaps the darkest and most disturbing of all the Namlooks as well as being one of the most interesting. A good disc to put on for Halloween. If dark and creepy sounds appeal to you, then this one might be for you. While I could not call this disc one of my favorite Namlooks, it is definitely one I listen to a lot due to the fact that it's not real boring and it's hard to get sick of.

(review by Steve Luckabaugh)