Geniuser – I Am (Ahh Ohh Records)
LP / CD / DL
22 June 2018
9.5 / 10
Experimental electronic duo release their new album.
Beginning with, and
containing segments reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s Barrel Of A Gun (which itself
relied heavily on 6 Underground by the Sneaker Pimps), Man Of God from Geniuser
instantly recognises their new album, I Am is a work well worthy of their
name. Aside from Depeche you’ll also hear
shards of Nick Cave, Rob Dougan and Mark E Smith. Described as ‘forward-thinking’, Michael
Allen (The Wolfgang Press) and painter/producer Giuseppe De Bellis have
crowdfunded their way into one of the finest albums of the year.
I Am skilfully treads the path between experimental and
commercial it would seem, completely effortlessly. Find You would have fitted perfectly into Rob
Dougan’s 2002 album Furious Angels alongside his own incredible Left Me For
Dead, a track of pumping percussion and continuous bass threads which fits superbly
with Allen’s croaky, gnarled vocals. The
track often rises to vociferous proportion and is addictive, very much so, with
this habitual need to hear more continuing throughout the whole album.
The music is impressive to say the least, it creates an
often terrifying emptiness in places and a cavalcaded wall of sound in others. The impressive, almost horror sounding Epiphany
holds the listener for nigh on a minute with a near ambient feel before spoken
word and a moon-stomp beat describe Allen’s personal demons. Jaw-dropping stuff.
I Am will undoubtedly be one of the albums of the year. It reeks of quality and commitment like few
albums do and it holds more emotion in any ten second burst than some complete
albums do over their full track listing.
Can I Can is a tangled web of overlapping vocals accompanied by samples
of the Royal Drummers Of Burundi and Agnus Dei (Lamb Of God), the choral
composition written by American composer
Samuel Osborne Barber II in 1936.
A Thousand Sorrows acts as an emotional interlude, a brooding
admission of excessive guilt and regret whilst Monkey is a brutal tale of
delusional self-righteousness. Disconnected
sees De Bellis provide some impressive electro effects which powerfully blip
and bleep over a vigorous backbeat.
Ending with the title
track loosely based around the quote “I think, therefore I am” made famous by French
philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes, I Am is not a great album, it is
truly a masterpiece, one of those albums that you never tire of hearing, a
breath of fresh air, a genuine inspiration.
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