The eighth solo release by Dutch drone artist Autaar is a look back onto the early years. It contains the harsh mono tape soundscapes from the early 20’s, and the first forays into synthesizer-driven ambient. Tracks have been edited into their long-form versions, and mixed to blend together as a cohesive album.
A rough, dusty, dark atmosphere envelopes meandering saturated tape sounds. Although there is a semblance of melodic structure, the end result is oppressive and harsh, and definitely drone.
Het Zelve Lichaem sounds like Autaar’s visuals: The crushing pressure of cities, afloat by sheer belief. Filled with propagandistic religious forms. Shreds of decaying iconography, in streets like altars, under dark buildings. Like columns, holding up the heavens.
Hypnotizing synth-loops, floating sweeps, and tape-saturated drones abound here, and the feeling of being in a dusty, dirty, and quite ancient stone corridor never quite leaves you.