Stalker, by
Robert Rich and B. Lustmord, is one of the darkest e-music CDs ever. The title refers to a film by Andre Tarkovsky, not, as many folks believe, to a stalker. It is "a guide to possible interpretations of ambivalent reality" where nothing is as it seems. Its purpose is to "illuminate...and decode this landscape of fractured density." That is pretty heady stuff. And, while this is a very dark CD, it is also intelligent and structured.
Rich has a knack for making his sound designs sound like they are free-form. Lustmord is known for his dark ambience. Together, they have created a challenging CD. It is one of the best of the genre. Only
Jeff Pearce,
Alio Die,
Mathias Grassow, and James Johnson are at this level. ~ Jim Brenholts