Brooklyn-based analog synth group
Long Distance Poison have been crafting long-form explorations since the early 2010s, initially as a trio before slimming down to the duo of Erica Bradbury and Nathan Cearley. Over the course of more than a dozen cassettes and LPs, as well as numerous performances at underground venues and experimental music festivals, they've forged a distinct aesthetic which recalls '70s kosmische and sci-fi/horror soundtracks without being derivative. It's absolutely necessary for them to take around 10 or 20 minutes (or more) for each composition in order to establish an atmosphere, and allow unexpected noises and tonal shifts to emerge. Knock Magh is LDP's second release for Chicago's "in the zone"-friendly Hausu Mountain, and it's as good an example of their sonic sorcery as anything else they've created. Of the three pieces here, opener "Crop Circle K" is the shortest and most propulsive, with starry pulsations dancing around liquid-like gurgling noises over an eerie, minimal drone. While much of the piece seems somewhat playful, it switches into a slightly more tense ending. Likewise, "Qllow" drifts from a shimmering calm to murkier waters, with distorted vibrations providing some sort of alarm by the piece's conclusion. "Ooch Nuch" is a much longer alien soundscape, with sudden, abrupt frequencies springing and darting from the gaseous void. ~ Paul Simpson