Maja Osojnik - Let Them Grow [Unrecords 011 Promo]

Following up to our review of Opcion's latest release which was discussed on these pages in early February we received a letter from the Vienna-based artist Maja Osojnik who has been collaborating with Opcion on one track of his latest release, containing her most recent album "Let Them Grow" which was released in CD-format via Unrecords and as longplay vinyl on Rock Is Hell Records on February 22nd, 2k16. Following a free-floating approach that takes influences from a wide variety of genres we see how Maja Osojnik fuses an Apocalyptic Folk-feel with scratching, grinding Noize layers and vocal glitches in the opening song "Tell Me", multilayers her own voice in the threatening, Drone-led follow up "Authority" to create an intensity somewhat in between Lydia Lunch, David Lynch and the ultrascience approach of modular Clicks'n'Cuts and goes into a heavy crescendo of probably field recorded, buzzing Industrial Noises which quickly replaced by pulsing bass modulations in "Wrack". "Condition I" deals with tribal drumming wafting through alien swamps before a heavy Noize eruption and hard, banging Spoken Words as well as vocal repetitions teleport the listener into a mad, psyched out ritual."Hello, I Can Not Find My Head" is a depressing threnody based on clearly defined bass rhythms and greyscale vocalisms alongside chaotic crackles, "Nothing Is Finished Until You See It" is exploring dramatic, piano-based territories best described as Classic Broadway Ballad meets eruptions of experimentalism and the instrumental cut "Pale April" serves whirring high frequencies on a tense and psyched out level that could well accompany slasher classics like Hitchcock's "Psycho" before calming down a little and evolving into dark'ish, yet beautiful Ambient. Furthermore "Let Them" provides various layers of found sounds, strings and plucked metal as a foundation for a haunting, epic and kinda medieval song evoking a feel of mystical Scottish highlands, "You Might Be Inherently A Part Of The Problem" is a heavy take on Rhythmic Noize walking the thin line towards Breakcore whilst heavily sliced and cut-up vocal bits are meandering through the stereo field and "Waiting" gets into vocal glitches again which - albeit romantic pianos are immanent - work well with the dark, haunting athmosphere of the tune that could perfectly depict witchcraft practising rituals in its first part before the great broadway feel strikes towards the end.  With the two instrumental takes "Condition II" and "Condition III" Maja Osojnik explores more insane, multilayered percussion works alongside a range of modular and feedback sounds, "A Lullaby To An Unborn Child, A Love Song" starts out as intimate Electronica piece later accompanied by the artists powerful voice, an combination slightly reminiscing of Björk's "Homogenic"-era and "I Was Dying, So I Am Now Probably Dead" brings in a melancholia-driven, theatrical feel perfect for self-reflective listening sessions in front of open fires. Finally "Authority B-Side" uses the technique of solemn multilayered vocal expression to create a whole, well-complex choir ensemble out of one voice only, before the final "Condition IV" creates a mystic amalgamation of swelling feedback drones and experimentally played strings to conclude one of the most diverse and thrilling leftfield albums of the year 2k16 so far. Intense, demanding and defo one to add to your collection for a reason.