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| DESCRIPTION: |
Originally planned as a Possessive
Blindfold release, delays in production caused the music and
artwork to be pulled from that label and released earlier on
Division 13. Demons & Angels is the defining disc for the
13th Hour sound, ranging from older classics such as Hated,
a track created in the depths of poverty and despair in San
Francisco, to the newer, controversial remix of Venetian Snares' "Intense
Demonic Attacks" (retitled "Pandora's Box") which ultimately
led to the dissolution between Snares and Bombardier. The full-length
CD also features Malice Aforethought, the 13-minute sound experiment
using recorded sounds from a kitchen in Minneapolis (funded
by Pigdog Recordings, UK) and Less Than Zero, the dj popular
industrial-techno track conceptually based on the book by Bret
Easton Ellis (appearing alongside Hated on Low Res 008).
The strife inherent in the making of this disc comes out in
the music, describing process of conflict and deviation, finally
absolving into a completed picture. The elements and relationships
ended up placed not as intended, but striking and right nonetheless. |
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| REVIEWS: |
People are always so concerned about the impression
that music makes on an audience, but seldom pay any attention
to the fact that people are listening to it because an artist
has expressed something that they're not able to externalise
in any real way. The quote from Meister Eckhart explains a
lot about 'Demons & Angels,' and the paths it is trying
to show to the listener. You have a choice as to how you hear
the disc. 13th Hour has created a very mature work. It is a
eulogy for the way things could have been, and the abrasiveness
that permeates the disc is the sound of letting go... the sound
of the past being scraped off fingers that want to hold on
far more than is healthy... the sound of all those skeletons
in your closet being tossed into a bonfire.
Eckhart's words were prefaced with the following:
"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that
won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They
burn them all away."
"Demons & Angels," like the chiropractor Louis who quoted
Eckhart in Jacob's Ladder, represents salvation to those who
seek it... and those who continue to see demons in music, perhaps
they're not ready to let go just yet.
-DJ Fishead (Northern
Hardcorps, Massive
Magazine, Activated Magazine)
In the liner notes to Demons & Angels, there is a quote
from Meister Eckhart, "If you're frightened of dying and you're
holding on, you'll see demons tearing your life away. If you've
made your peace, then the demons are really angels, freeing
you from the earth." And this is perhaps the best framework
through which to view this album. Jason Snell (aka 13th Hour,
Bombardier) has created a collection of dirty electro-industrial
beats and bass that may initially be perceived as ugly, noisy,
and violent. But, submitting to the power of the record, making
one's peace, as it were, the beauty underneath the surface
rises, and is a wonder to behold. And like most hardcore breakbeat
artists, it sounds great loud. Opener "Pandora's Box" is a
remix, of a sort, of Venetian Snares' "Intense Demonic Attacks," and
sets the mood of the record off right, with its crashing metallic
percussion and descending bass riff battling each other for
the high ground in the mix. The album contains no lyrics, but
there are samples from which to grasp at Snell's intent, such
as the ever popular source for ominous samples, Apocalypse
Now, which provides Martin Sheen's existential musings from
the beginning of the film as a lead-in to the highlight of
the album, "Less Than Zero." The intense, driving rhythm of
the track echoes Brad Fiedel's main theme to The Terminator,
but updated for 2002 with a little hardcore drum'n'bass action
thrown into the mix. Recommended for fans of Venetian Snares
and Pan sonic.
-James Mason (All
Music Guide)
A project of the ever-surprising beat monarch, Jason Snell
(Bombardier, Kamphetamine ), 13th Hour is perhaps his most
intricate, personal and outstanding incarnation to date. From
the cover art, track titles and the Eckhart quote in the liner
notes, you may be forgiven for thinking that this is yet another
dull, Nordic-black-death-doom-orchestral-ambient album when,
in fact, it fits snugly with the rest of Snell's output. Yet,
neither is it a caffeine-fuelled hardcore album; rather, it
is a mix of the two: crunching beats and haunting atmospherics
in equal measure - like the darkest days of Bombardier, or
Cold Meat Industry with a punk attitude.
Demons & Angels opens with the appropriately titled "Pandora's
Box" where the full-force of 13 th Hour's crushing weight and
infernal majesty is unleashed upon our senses. Slow, distorted
breaks detonate beneath a film of screeching metallic noises
and sprawling, melodic atmospheres [on this track, sampled
from Venetian Snares' "Intense Demonic Attacks", which, had
Mr. Funk not coined the phrase first, would be the perfect
description of the 13th Hour sound].
Intersplicing the main pieces with short, atmospheric interludes,
often laden with obscure samples [ranging from anonymous screams
to dialogue from Apocalypse Now], lends to Demons & Angels
a conceptual, almost epic quality. They subtly change the mood
and tone of the album, adjusting our ears from one onslaught
of mammoth beats to another, as well as showcase Snell's more
introspective side, allowing him to operate on a different
level of intricacy than usual.
It is the rhythmic pieces, though, that truly stand out and
punctuate the album. Breakbeats that verge on the tribal, on
pieces such as "Primal" and "Less Than Zero", draw us in to
their occult groove; spattered with just enough distortion
to keep the composition hectic, but not so much as to overpower
the whole of the mix. On other tracks, such as "Hated", the
groove orientates itself more towards nasty hip-hop structures,
surrounded by all manner of wicked, mechanical convulsions;
half-tempo headbangers that leave me longing to witness this
act in a live setting. It is the sheer diversity of styles
within such a strict, tight aesthetic that really make the
album sparkle, never letting it grow dull, yet all the time
maintaining the same oppressive, brooding atmosphere.
With 13th Hour, Snell has again shown us his great versatility
as a musician. The shift from his compressed-kicking hardcore
to these satanic shudders seems almost effortless, so naturally
does he reside within the artistic temperament of each. This
album will surely wow admirers of Snell's other work and his
contemporaries (Cdatakill, Abelcain, Huren, etc.), but it will
also, no doubt appeal to fans of acts like Ah-Cama Sotz, Somatic
Responses or Zenopede. Unique in so many ways, it proves to
be highly addictive listening.
-Gavin Lees (Immanence)
A rock solid 13 track concept album that explores that space
between life and death, demons and angels, understanding and
fear. If you still feel the effects of the movies "Jacob's
Ladder", this one is right there with you... The liner notes
contain the quote, "If you are frightened of dying and you're
holding on, you'll see demons tearing your life away. If you've
made your peace, then the demons are really angels, freeing
you from the Earth"(Eckart)
6 tracks range from about 2 minutes to about 6 minutes, 1 clocks
in at about 13, and the others are shorter interludes keeping
the 'story' flowing. A Fantastic intro on "Pandora's Box" is
a great opener! Deep serious drama that goes down to the depths
and prepares you for the ride. "Possess" starts off with 'mass
murder' samples, then hard crashing D&B, screams and serious
chords take over. "Primal" is a pounding monster that will
drag you down into the pit of ridicule and despair. "Less Than
Zero" starts off with the angels, ooohh---deep synth waves
roll in and thicken a bassy soup...a pause, the "I'd wake up
and there'd be nothing", and Hardcore takes over with deep
serious beats, then moody synths and rhythms and layers...
a great feel."Hated" is a wild, hardcore, broken beat banger
with a slight IDM feel. Ouch!!!! Bang, stomp, clank, BOOM...then
settles into a swampy muddy deep place for awhile before confidently
arising with beats and moans. "Malice Aforethought" is the
long one... starts with chill, echoey beats as elements come
in and out becoming oddly attractive yet filled with a sense
of danger...deep serious trouble is brewing subtly and stealthfully
as it rolls on picking up a very engaging rhythm. "Extinguished" closes
things up with a deep deep ambience filled with deep serious
chords and exotic pluckings, "They do not steal your souls,
they can't because they don't own them... " Highly recommended.
-Linda Leigh (Technotica)
This is the newest release from Jason Snell better known as
Bombardier. This CD comes via way of Low Res Records. Low Res
has always been a solid label with constant release of hard
and dark dirty music. This CD however, sets new standards.
First let's start with the design. You have photography by
Michael Petry, Final Production by Justin owner of Low Res,
and Production by Jason Snell. The use of other people's visual
art is a great idea to not just enhance the look, but to help
expose other people's visions with the music that is contained
on this CD though there is no need to enhance anything. Every
track consists of a very industrial feel with a combination
of darkstep and hardcore... This dark angry music is brought
to another level with Jason's efforts in arrangement. There
is no simple cut and paste, formulaic layout to any of these
songs. If you listen close to drum changes, and the pads used
in the song, you can tell that many of the measures had that
human personal touch done to it. Now you listen closer and
you here various different levels in the sound scapes. The
emotional connection one can get from these songs is over powering.
There is no question Jason put his heart and soul into this.
In turn when the listener puts this on loud it is hard for
them to not connect.
I have always admired Jason Snell for who he is as a person
and the music he produces. We have similar backgrounds in our
musical tastes. So to me this CD was already going to be in
my favorites. But after giving it a true serious listen, it
has gone beyond that.
I have this CD 10 out of 10. I haven't given a release that
in over 5 years. GET THIS CD NOW!!!!!
-Robert Skinner (Black
Monolith)
Jason Snell is a New Yorker with many faces. Having gained
a small recognition under the DJ Bombardier moniker is not
enough, and while he is already in charge of his own small
label (Division 13), he manges to record and releases material
under two other pseudonyms, 13th Hour and Kamphetamine. If
these three projects were present on his mix CD "L'Excommunie",
this "Demons & angels" (which happens to be the man's only
second appearance on a non-vinyl format) is a 13th Hour thing
only. I am not totally certain that I know the difference between
the three projects (let's say that Kamphetamine is usally more
gabberish, while Bombardier has more samples), the other good
point of this CD is to present calmer tracks, which do not
appear on the many records published under this moniker.
And still; I write "calmer", but one has to admit that "Demons & Angels",
just like "L'excommunie" and their vinyl companions (see "Lithium
Project") are hard, angry and amphetamine-boosted rhythms.
But while being aggressive and stomping, Jason Snell's music
remains highly personal, bearing a touch that makes it very
distinguishable. Clearly coming out of the whole hardcore /
break thing, 13th Hour keeps the big beats and the taste for
sudden change, but has a much richer, fuller and lusher sound.
Only seldomly are the beats alone, the tracks on this CD revolving
almost constantly around multiples layers of metallic beats,
bassy soundscapes, a few weird sounds (what is this tapping
at the beginning of "Less than zero"?), voice samples, and,
most of all, a lot of sweeping atmospheric sounds. A good way
to describe 13th Hour music would be to speak of a highly produced
atmospheric industrial music which would go amok. The textures
are very rich, and while this album is primarily rhythmic and
violent, the background ambiences are never forgotten ("Prejudice")
and the beats, however massive and important they may be, never
get the whole of the cake. In the end, you get a well mixed
disc, in which you get both the big metallic percussions, the
headbanging / dancey rhythms, and the rich background textures.
Finally, the disc is quite well balanced, with varied tracks.
Not sharing the sheer brutality and non-stop madness of "L'excommunie",
this "Demons & Angels" however discplays better Jason Snell's
talent for mid-paced and calm moments. While you still more
than your share of very aggressive tracks, "Demons & angels" goes
beyond being just a hardcore CD, and shows well this specific
shade of the genre that this musician has managed to settle.
-Nicolas Chevreux (Ad
Noiseam)
C'est encore une fois un superbe cd que nous propose le Jason
Snell, un album plein de richesse sonore mais aussi de brutalites
industrielles. Ces deux formes opposees e priori sont la marque
de fabrique de tous les projets de cet americain tout comme
ce qui touche e la religion catholique et ses derives bien
sur. Le thñme de ce cd est compris dans le titre, et
vous avez deux faeons de le subir, comme il est dit dans une
citation ecrite sur le livret, "si vous avez peur de la mort,
vous verrez sans arret des demons autour de vous, si vous vivez
en paix, alors les demons seront de vrais anges qui vous libereront
de la terre" (Eckhart). Un album que je conseille e toutes
celles et ceux passione(e)s d'esoterisme et de bon indus.
-Walter Pluquet (Sampler
Sans Reproches)
Incredibly evil and contemplative low-key passages weave their
way in outa nowhere so this one's a creepy delight!
-Sean/Noizepug73 (Damaging
Noise zine)
If anyone can show the world electronic ain't all Aphex and
Autechre, this be our man.
-Machine
Damn, G, this CD's rockin'.
-Atomly (Atomiq
Records)
As usual, the stuff is absolutely incredible. I'm totally floored.
-Joshua (nodeOne)
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