Out of the many genres of the electronic universe Drag is one of my favourites. Simple because despite losing its novelty, it still interests me with the creation of eerie sounds and the innovation within the genre. It manages to hold slow acts such as oOoOO, but also the more the upbeat ones such as White Ring and Salem. In other words the genre fascinates me.
To have an act from my own country, evolving and working in this genre was a nice surprise last year when I started listening to ▲NGST‘s Still Grim Up North. Additionlly I wrote a Dutch review on it and felt the potenial looming. A mere year later, ▲NGST has made a split album with Fifth Era, made an EP and has released his third at Phantasma Disques. One of the most known labels in the world providing creepy sounds and dark drones and owned by one of the members of Mater Suspiria Vision.
The untitled album has a good start, although ▲LPH▲ II has a calm build of atmosphere. Still after 170 seconds, the Dutchman throws in a raving beat to get this album going. The Contract maintains the atmosphere but loses the beat for two and a half minutes. This works rather well because when ▲NGST does let the beat retur, it allows ▲NGST XI to take over smoothly. This track, like its predecessors, needs a build up as well. However when it’s got its engines charged, it fills the room with synths, beats and atmosphere. Making it one of the standout out tracks. The Knowledge thereafter consolidates with a calm pace to regain the senses. Like his previous album ▲NGST remains faithful to the sound throughout the album yet he doesn’t seem afraid of dropping the speed. ▲NGST X reinstates the beat and works as an intermission to The Ritual. The sixth track pushes the grim atmosphere to the forefront and heightens it. Finally the Goner remix of Universal Energy, also known as ▲NGST III, wraps up the album with an excellent feel. Synths and beats chime once more and it’s clear that the original has been reworked for optimal enjoyment so to speak.
Overall this untitled album is a sign of progression of the Dutchman, who appears to be able to evolve well. Along with ▲NGST XI, ▲LPH▲ II are the go to tracks. Especially the latter haunts me on a daily basis. On a side note ▲NGST X and XI don’t solely function well on this album, but also when combined with the first eight ▲NGST tracks off Still Grim Up North. I’m bound to ask the creator where he left IX, but who knows when and where it will surface? For now ▲NGST has encaptured the darkness in his music rather well.
Preview the album right here:
duisterling. 
December 20th, 2011 → 9:52 pm
[…] silly, but I’m often in a trance with accompanying tunnel vision. (he laughs) I had already announced in it my review: Where is ▲NGST IX? Honestly I would have liked to put him on. However the […]