Via Negativa (In The Doorway Light)

ブルックリンを拠点に活動するXENO & OAKLANDERが放つ最新アルバム『VIA NEGATIVA (IN THE DOORWAY』は、レトロ・フューチャリスティック・シンセ・ポップと形容したくなる程に、キャリアの中でも屈指のアヴァンギャルディ性を誇る抜群の出来栄え。

シンセサイザーの実験室兼ミキシング・スタジオと化したコネチカット州のモダニズム様式の自宅でレコーディングされたという字面だけでもゾクゾクしてしまう本作は、精神面ではユニークな先見性を持ちながら、実行面では緻密であり、デュオの不朽の相性の中心をなすコントラストをどの瞬間からも感じ取る事ができる名盤です。

On Vi/deo, Xeno & Oaklander sustained themselves through dark times with happy memories, but on Via Negativa (In the Doorway Light), they create a world precariously balanced between romantic fantasies and nightmarish hallucinations. Described by Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo as studies of "what not to do," the album tells an ill-fated love story revolving around a mercury mine -- not the usual fodder for a record, but the duo does its best to reassert that Xeno & Oaklander is far from ordinary. Via Negativas concept is most fully expressed by its mercurial sonics, with slippery melodies and chord progressions, synth tones that glitter like "opulent poison," and unrelenting mechanical beats, all of which make themselves known on "The Unknown Side" and "Mercury Mind," which embodies the thrill and dread of getting in over ones head (perhaps literally). Starting with the sleekly frantic title track, Wendelbo and McBride create an elegant yet unsettled mood that plays into their musics cinematic qualities. Underneath this tension, however, lies some of the pairs most sophisticated pop. "Actors Foil" is a highlight, with Wendelbos crisp delivery of lines such as "You walk with emotion/In my warped imagination" ratcheting up the drama. She and McBride share many of the albums other standout moments, and their vocal interplay enlivens the surreal allure of "Lost and There" and "Magic of the Manifold," where her sharper tones contrast his softer ones and thwart expectations once again. When the album ends with the hazy dissolution of "Strange Fellows," it feels like awakening from a lingering dream. Strange and frequently captivating, at its best Via Negativa (In the Doorway Light) is a tribute to Xeno & Oaklanders skill at crafting images and moods other artists could never envision. ~ Heather Phares