Ben Chatwin - The Hum [Village Green Recordings 058]

Released via Village Green Recordings on November 6th, 2k20 is "The Hum", the sixth album for Scotland-based experimental electronic artist Ben Chatwin under his real name. Inspired and captivated by the natural 50Hz hum the electric wiring of his 19th century home produced steadily we see the composer catering a menu of eight tracks stretched out over a total of 38 minutes with a focus on what the accompanying press sheet refers to as 'ghost frequencies' - a.k.a. signals that surround us every day but are too faint, too low or too high up in the frequency spectrum to be appreciated or recognized by the everyday person unless one is explicitly looking for them. And the journey is quite a fascinating one, opening with the haunted ColdAmbient swells of "Transmission" which are backed by subdued, muffled and slightly tribal'esque low frequency rumbles whereas "Transistor" seems to be a dramatic, Industrial-infused call to arms in a future war yet to come. With "Creep Strain" we're entering score'esque, slightly postapocalyptic UnAmbient territories, "Snow Crash" seems to reflect on the eerie, tragic silence hovering above misty battlefields when the early morning sun breaks through the clouds and "War Of The Ants" evokes echoes of echoes of memories of church bells going off in a far distance whilst tender rhythmic backings do reference hyperminimalist PostRock / Indietronica vibes and elusive string layers provide a beautifully solemn atmosphere for a tune that could go on forever - and ever. Examining the "Interference" we're coming across more solemn, melancholic Ambient / Score vibes, the albums title track "The Hum" reveals brooding, highly dramatic Synth / Cosmic references and finally a "Ghost In The Machine" waves goodbye in a friendly, hopeful and slowly cascading Ambient manner to provide a well peaceful closing for this highly interesting longplay piece.

Album artwork on Instagram!