Blood Ties Webzine

Sep. 30 2008

Overall Rating: A-
Composition: B+
Sounds: A
Production Quality: A-
Concept: B
Packaging: B+

BKPR (read: bee-kay-pee-arr, "Beekeeper", the name is not an acronym despite the track titles) is a project that I've been following closely since it's inception. This CDr is the first full length from Zach Adam's solo efforts. Before this, he's released a couple of business card CDrs (of which he'd inconspicuously leave in bathrooms at noise events), the excellent Recycled Music cassette on RRRecords and a few compilation appearances. When he announced the full length to me, I had no idea what to expect, due to his sound being very diverse and criss-crossing between all sorts of genres in the experimental music radar. This CDr contains four long tracks, clocking in at a total of just over forty minutes. The labeled CDr presented nicely in a jewelcase, with a tray insert and tracklisting. The first release limited to 100 copies on his new label, Autumn Abattoir, shows that he is taking a direction with DIY packaging - yet allowing the release to look almost professional with the layout he has chosen.

As expected upon playing the first track, Burden, I'm presented with a variety of different sounds. This track follows the structure of beginning with a pulsating loop that begins to get more and more intense, before that distinct rumbling low end slowly crawls it's way into the track. The thing I love about these works is that BKPR uses some very lo-fi sounds yet holds it together with a good sense of composition and attention to detail. At just under two minutes in, the track begins to progress. All the atmosphere is stripped apart from a little whisper, before some harsh hi-end oscillations scream. I would have perhaps liked to have seen more progression between parts of the track, but some of the sounds presented are excellent nevertheless. All sorts of whirring drones and loops begin to pan around the mix, as static begins to weave between the sounds. Once again the atmosphere creeps out, and some dry scraping sounds are used as well as some very subtle wind sounds. Compared to the loud few minutes that just happened, this is an interesting break from those, but I expect they'll return anytime soon. A wall of harsh noise punches it's way in and out unexpectedly, but executed with precision and the reverb blasts remind me of some of Sickness' work. A haunting melange of analogue electronics, noise, and ambient form thick layers of sounds that work really well together.

Interesting to note that each track title is an inital for BKPR (Burden, Kollateral, Pretend, Retraction). A nice aesthetic to follow with each track taking a different turn than the last. Kollateral begins takes a dark ambient direction with analogue synth bliss drenched all over the top. The wind sounds add extra atmosphere, as with the little subtle synth sounds that echo, before a hard crust of wall noise (not loud enough to disruput this mix though) begins to form. Everything is well executed, to the fuzzy drones to the swirling ambient hiss. Most of the time, with drone and dark ambient, there never seems to be a real attention to detail like this, so this is very refreshing. I love the way everything forms and the mixture of sounds and frequencies. It's a lot to absorb at once - just how I like my noise. There's plenty of little tails of ambience and drone that intertwine giving way to walls of static and murk. I love the harsh intense noise that splutters and wails at about 5.30, it was unexpected and suits the backdrop of already diverse sounds. As everything is stripped, a small fuzzed loop is soloed, which allows the layers to build up once again to form another slab of detailed electronics.

Pretend takes a different direction to begin with, instead of using loops to start building up the audio, a heavily phased sea of ambience is mixed with some very beautiful synth sounds. I've always known BKPR to be someone who'll use anything and everything to make audio with - which perhaps more experimental artists should take note of - so it's no surprise to hear a cello being played slowly against the ambience, which is a great addition to the track. The ambience fades out, and the cello continues with a very dark and haunting series of notes. Fantastic stuff. A beautifully, daunting and withering track that I'll want to keep returning to.

The finale, Retraction, begins with some old ballroom dance music loop, with is torn apart by an almost rhythmic noise loop and some drones panned to either side of the stereo spectrum. This doesn't last long, and the track plummets into a void of crackle and despondant slow classical music, sprinkled with oscillations every now and then. A harrowing wall of drones and synth that comes out of nowhere spreads like an epidemic as more classical samples and synth loops ends it. The ultimate low to finish off this superb album. It's hard to decide on a favourite piece due to each track having unique outstanding moments, but the depressing tendancies of Pretend and the heavily layered electronics of Kollateral are probably the two peaks of this disc. A very unique release, using many different methods of executing sounds, with an eye for detail, focus, and lethargic atmospheres. I can only hope that this is the beginning.

Idwal Fisher
Nov. 9 2008

BKPR is an experimental/noise/ambient outfit from across the pond who likes bees. I think.
The four tracks here are a bit of a mixed bag but I found myself liking a couple of them so much I ripped em to my hard drive - which as far as praise goes is up there with ‘I took money out of my pocket and paid for it’.
Four tracks then that wander around the corridors of electroacoustic, field recording, cello scraping and circuit abuse. And for the most part very fine it is too.
All of these tracks offer something in detail but feel like they’ve been put thrown together Frankenstein fashion - interesting things happen only to be interrupted by seemingly random noise blurts.
BKPR comes into his [hers? their?] own on the latter two tracks ‘Pretend’ and Retraction’ where ambience in the shape of humming machinery and Klaus Schulze like washes vie with a cello for air space. Retraction is a stylish piece of 20’s dance band looped ambience and crackle which has what could be a mournful brass band piece submerged for company. BKPR spoils the mood though by chucking in a totally unnecessary two minutes worth of Merzbow. These tracks need to flow not be interrupted by Masami knocking on the door. The final few minutes of Retraction though lead me to believe that BKPR will one day morph into something memorable. Shut your eyes and you could be listening to a Morricone soundtrack.
For now this is OK but refinement is needed.