Necks - Aether

  by Andrew Carver

published: 4 / 8 / 2003

Label: Rer Megacorp
Format: CD

intro

Slow-burning recently re-released electronica from Australian trio the Necks, which, while regarded by fans as their high-water mark, definitely proves to be something of an acquired taste

'Aether' is one long track, just a few seconds shy of 64 minutes,  by Australian trio the Necks. It was originally released in 2001 on The Necks own Fish of Milk label, and is widely regarded by fans of the band as their high-water mark. The album is a steady pattern of pulses: Keyboards, accompanied by a thrum of standup base and  a shiver of cymbals. Usually the music is left to trail off to dead silence, but sometimes the keyboards warbles away for minutes at a time while the pulses continue. Droplet-like tones and chimes, metallic scrapes blended with horns, are occasionally woven into the tapestry. The album has a jazzy, soothing feel to it (barring those discordant scrapes), with a stately tempo that reminded me of Aarktica. Some will be hypnotised by the Necks ; others, used to brisker forms of musical entertainment, will probably find it tedious. I confess, I find myself in this camp: The conception was more interesting to me than the execution, and a third of the way through I was ready to move onto something else.

Track Listing:-