Santorum - I (2010, Imminent Frequencies - IF03)
I have rarely had the desire to write a review for anything. When Ryan of Imminent Frequencies handed me the Santorum cassette that he put out I was immediately excited because I trust his judgment. Since starting his label in early 2010 he has been always consistent with the material he releases.
Santorum’s debut CS is nothing short of amazing. This Westchester, NY weirdo has hit the nail on the head with this effort. The A side (appropriately titled “Dedicating A Killing”) showcases dark, unsettling drone courtesy of some analog synths that may as well have belonged to Angelo Badalamenti. There is a constant low, gloomy note that runs through the entire side of the tape that sets up the ominous, slow pulsating tone of this piece. The tones blend into one another louder and louder until quickly fading out leaving you ready to dust off your Twin Peaks VHS boxset, turn off the lights, and get weird.
Flipping to Side B (entitled “I See Shadows”) will still keep you in that dark place, though Santorum takes a slightly different approach to doing so. There is a feeling of losing all hope and finally accepting what is coming (whatever that may be). The vibe is still gloomy and reclusive, but it all seems to feel a bit less tense. The tones lap against each other in such a beautiful way on this side that it makes me smile. I can’t choose which piece is my favorite because they are both so great. The artwork (pictured above) is fantastic as well, very unsettling, which is right up my alley.
Overall I think this is one of my favorite releases of 2010. I have played this tape so many times on long 4am drives that I am afraid it’s going to break.
Since I was younger I have always had an obsession for tone, and atmosphere when it came to music. I guess that is why drone and noise is appealing to me. If your tone is cool, I’ll listen to you for hours. The debut cassette from Stantorum has everything I wanted.
Imminent Frequencies put this cassette out in April of 2010 with a very tiny run of only 50 copies. They are all long gone. Here is a link for the mp3s…
I have been informed that the sophomore effort from Santorum is just around the corner so keep checking IMMINENT FREQUENCIES for updates on that. While you’re there check out some of the other releases and support a hardworking independent label.
This was my first review ever, so fuck off if you think it sucks.
-Chris
