Review by Bryan Baker:
Fritz Gessler, an East German artist self-described as “trying to survive my life by making noise,” delivers a deeply haunting experience with his 2024 release, *I HAVE NO MOUTH and I must scream*. Consisting of three cavernous drone pieces, the album explores themes of desolation and anguish, pulling listeners into a stark auditory void.
The opening track, “I have no mouth,” stands apart with its organic construction. The composition feels alive, though its life is tortured and fragmented. Distant moans echo through an atmospheric haze, sending chills through your very bones. There’s a raw, primal energy here, evoking a sense of ancient grief that contrasts with the more digital textures to come.
Tracks two and three, “AM” and “and I must scream,” shift into an electronic terrain, where Gessler manipulates pitched formants and hollow frequencies. These pieces delve into a deep space so vast and empty that even echoes seem to have perished. The result is a soundscape that feels unyielding and unforgiving, yet irresistibly immersive. It’s as if Gessler has captured the dying breaths of a cosmos at the end of its time.
The album’s cohesion lies in its ability to make listeners confront isolation and despair, yet each track offers a distinct facet of Gessler’s auditory narrative. “I have no mouth” feels like the suffering of a flesh-bound existence, while “AM” and “and I must scream” move into the cold, mechanical afterlife of sound itself.
Media: Digital.
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Bandcamp URL: https://harshrealitymusic.bandcamp.com/album/i-have-no-mouth-and-i-must-scream
