Garden of Earthly Delights

Keith Fullerton Whitman’s Playthroughs truly established a man near invisible before (to mine own eyes) as a true sound artist and master sonic manipulator. That record full of heavenly drones (as opposed to those hellish, satanic Sunn 0))) ones) sent the shoegaze market into a deep, deep recession, its peddlers twiddling their flange and phaser knobs for years on end. Our hero was thrust into the light as a savior and genius.

Thinking that he may return to that form again, I looked into Schoner FluBengel. For someone who so expertly achieved reaching the outer limits of the earth’s atmosphere, we have a complete and astounding departure. Rather than further explore the heights on Playthroughs, Whitman has taken a look inside, indoors into a much darker, sometimes closed off area.

The dark areas of earth (and below?) are plenty full of grave interests: Ghostly winds inhabit a cavernoous realm (possibly depicted on the cover) with walking acoustic guitars and ritualistic drones sounding like monks with meek voices, desperately trying to chase the demonic tones away. But to no avail -- the tape is manipulated, chopped skewed and spit out, but also drenched in a glowing reverb so as to make it sound strangely natural and horrifying, all a weird natural progression. Suddenly, the nightmarish side one ends with no closure, abruptly as if to say this will go on forever if we don’t open our eyes quickly.

We are brought back to eerie, distant echoes, unfit for physical life, but undoubtedly lurking in the gothic church. That timeless aura rises over everything as mechanical repetitions pepper the foreground until a demonic presence is unleashed. The guitar briefly returns as if to calm the demon again taking center stage. Settle the listener in, ready us for the horrors that may or may not unfold. Chaos does surround us, but an expert tension is kept so as to not destroy our involvement in the repeating and chanting guitar eventually devolving into a processed baroque harpsichord/piano figure that plays heavily into the timeless feel of religious music and practice. That figure somehow uplifts a hope that built this gothic church inhabited by ghostly demons.

Regardless of Mr. Whitman’s overall goal (political, religious, etc.), he has done something remarkable. Whitman takes the seemingly evil and dangerous, bathes it in rituals surrounded by chaos that eventually find salvation. The ultimate theme emerges redeemed and positive -- and this is all done seamlessly. His final statement? Embrace the chaos, ride it out, for there is a clearing ahead. Truly epic.