Compositions

Helge Stens 2022 release as Deathprod, Sow Your Gold in the White Foliated Earth, was the audio score for a series of concerts written for rare instruments designed by pioneering composer Harry Partch. Much different than other Deathprod albums, the release consisted of sparse yet striking acoustic pieces rather than the haunting, sometimes noisy drones of past records like Morals and Dogma. Compositions, released just a few months after Sow Your Gold, is a return to Stens signature "Audio Virus," a customized amalgamation of electronics, sound processors, and effects. As on Sow Your Gold, Sten sticks to short track lengths here. Each one establishes a particular tone, often a shimmering metallic reverberation or distorted, echoing flare, and stays in that setting for a few moments before moving on to the next track. A few are harsher and more frightful, such as the icy scree of "Composition 7" or the stark terror of "Composition 12," while others are more ominous, from the Coil-like industrial drone of "Composition 1" to the sparse mechanical humming of "Composition 8." Later tracks seem to have an extra layer of faint static, making them sound like theyre somehow emerging during a high tide. In some ways, Compositions feels more like a film score than other Deathprod albums, not quite resembling variations on a theme, but aurally illustrating a specific scene with each track. ~ Paul Simpson