cat.no: nM 1.1
time: 46:02
packaging: ultraslim case
edition: 150 copies - sold out!

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1 The Shadow Gazer [mp3]
2 Altar State
3 Live 25.5.2001

Recorded in Oulu 2001.

"The first release is by Depther, the solo work of a Finnish guy from the band I.corax (not that that ring any bells here). There are three lengthy piece of very dark soundscapes, two are studio pieces and one is a live pieces. Heavy, dense, dark atmospheric music of sounds being pushed around through the wild bunch of sound processors. Vibrant stuff, as opposed to some of the more static counterparts to be found in this alley. The live piece is a bit more static then the studio pieces though."
[Vital Weekly]

"I don't understand why an underground noise label would go out of their way to deface their promotional material by writing "promo" across the title tab of the sleeve (thankfully not the front/back cover) and then "Promotional copy!" on the top of the CD-R. This is noise, not a greedy corporate major label scheme to prevent items from being "illegally sold". Besides, it's really annoying to receive solid work in the mail, only to file it away in your personal collection with the dreaded cry of "promo" emblazoned across the package. Anyway. Depther is a Finnish project, and I believe that this CD-R is the debut, throwing forth three lengthy tracks of wonderful dark ambient music with superb atmosphere. Opening piece "The Shadow Gazer" is only about six minutes long, but it's with the following title track that the 20-minute insanity begins! "Altar State" is an excellent composition, using a wealth of deep, resonant tones and spacey synth textures alongside disturbing cries (Perhaps vocals/samples?) fading in and out and swirling around in the distance. As the track progresses there are some drastic changes: A few brief "harsh" areas (in comparison to the rest, at least), passages exhibiting almost total minimalism, subtle musical elements, etc. Superb work, indeed. The last track is called "Live 25.5.2001". I'm not sure if this is a recording of an actual live performance, or just a 20 minute track that was recorded live in one take. Since the sound quality is very nice, and right on par with the rest of the release, my vote goes for the latter option. though I could be wrong. Regardless, another exceptional track using constant synth textures and spacey layering, as well as samples deep in the background. I actually like the samples a lot, because you can sort of understand parts of the content, and they are also effective simply as additional layers of sound. Towards the end a quiet beat comes into play, never overpowering the core of ambient synthesizers. The layout is a good match for the music: Abstract textures, a logo, and a bit of text. Nothing more. (It's supposed to be packaged in a slim jewelcase with actual artwork on top of the CD-R, but the "Promotional copy!" isn't like that.) This is a very nice debut. I'd like to hear more. Oh, and this is limited to only 150 copies, so if interested act quickly."
[Aversionline]

"Nihil Market, een burn it yourself satelliet van het rijzende Finse label Kaos Kontrol, lanceert zichzelf via drie zeer gelimiteerde (150 exemplaren) cdrs in professioneel gedrukte hoezen. Debutant Depther (een I.Corax lid) duikt de diepte in met drie dreunende monolieten. Massieve constructies boordevol vibrerende drones sleuren je mee naar de kern van een vulkanisch actieve aardkorst. Deze cdr bevat ook een registratie van een optreden waarbij Depther zijn massieve dark ambient trillingen doorkruist met elektronica, metaal op glas, samples en trage drums. De hoogstaande mythische kwaliteiten van "Altar State" zullen zeker op de belangstelling mogen rekenen van duistere oren die houden van Lustmord en Inade."
[Gonzo Circus]

"Nihil Market is a burn it yourself satellite of the rising Finnish Kaos Kontrol label. All cdr's come with professionally printed covers in very limited runs of 150 copies. I.Corax member Depther makes his debut with three impressive dark ambient monoliths. Massive constructions of deep drones and vibrating basses drag you down into the volcanic crust of the earth. The third track is the registration of a 2001 live performance where Depther embellished his earthshaking music with electronics, metal on glass percussion, samples and slow drums. The mythical music of this interesting solo-project comes highly recommended to dark ears who love projects like Lustmord or Inade."
[Old Europa Cafe magazine]

"First of all, I must confess that I haven't heard the music of the Finnish band I.corax in my whole life, so I can hardly know if it differs from its dark ambient side project that you're going to find here. This debut, "Altar State", is a three pieced album that Nihil Market, the Kaos Kontrol sub-label, published as its first reference last year, setting the standards for the following releases in the outfit from then on: i.e. CDR editions with photocopied cover in ultraslim case and limited to 150 copies. And it's a good start, indeed; the kind of stuff that L.O.K.I. Foundation would have been proud to present under its banner, so here you have a clue to infer some details about the musical content.
"The Shadow Gazer", track number one, is an almost six minutes mysterious cut with a prominent hypnotic loop from beginning to end, while gloomy sampled sounds plus voices and, in the middle of the song, a shaded melody appear in the background, conforming a sort of discreet introduction for the couple of long tracks that will develop subsequently for around twenty minutes each. The first of these, named like the disc, keeps more or less the same pattern than the previous one, although highly developed and far richer. In fact, the whole album evidences a strong feel of uniqueness, probably helped by the small quantity of compositions and their close sonority, to the extent of making possible to take the entire oeuvre as an unique large construction divided in three different sections or moments. And the last of them is entitled "Live 25.5.2001", but don't let yourself be taken in, it doesn't sound as a real live performance at all, and since I have no more information, we could think that it refers to another 'live' concept. In any case, what matters is that the song works well as a conclusive piece and supports the described tone, starting with a synth chord as a basis that will remain during the first part, and will fade slowly while arriving at its middle until it disappears. The accompaniment is the kind of which we could hear before, but now the atmosphere turns more transparent in terms of sound, the sampled voices are clearer and even recognizable sometimes. It all changes slightly when waves and loops reach the chief role and the general mood turns more quiet, till the final sequence assume the duty with a cadenced sober ritual beat, wrapped in the ambient resonances that we've perceived along the advancement of the opus; and what's best, always without breaking the sensation of continuity and with a well achieved unfolding.
To say the ending words, a calmed effort that will easily grab the attention of the many fans of the genre, and as well done as some of the recent professional CDs that have gained a far bigger recognition during the last times. A real surprise, and a very good one, that really worth a try."
[Seküencias de Culto magazine]

"Olen yleensä suhtautunut epäilyksellä CD-r julkaisuihin. Oululaisen Deptherin esikoinen "Altar State" on kuitenkin esimerkki siitä, että moinen asenne ei kannata. Kyseessä on I.Corax-yhtyeen sivuprojekti, ja levyn on julkaissut Kaos Kontrol -lafkan alamerkki Nihil Market. Mutta sen, että kyseessä on tuntemattoman nimen vielä tuntemattomampi sivuprojekti joka on julkaistu CD-r:nä pienen levy-yhtiön vielä pienemmällä sivumerkillä ei pidä antaa hämätä, sillä "Altar State" on todella huipputason dark ambientia. Levyllä on kolme kappaletta, joista kaksi ovat studiomateriaalia ja yksi on liveäänitys. Ensimmäinen kappale "The Shadow Gazer" on lyhyempi kestoltaan ja toimii lähinnä introna levyn yli 20-minuuttiselle nimikkoraidalle. Musiikki on jäätävän kylmää, rauhallista maisemaa kirkkaan heleillä äänillä muotoiltuna. "Altar State" on kuin kristalliveistos, joka jatkuvasti muuttaa muotoaan, ilman että mikään klisee pääsee häiritsemään tyylipuhdasta kokonaisuutta. Livekappale on sen verran ammattimaisesti taltioitu että sitä ei livemateriaaliksi voisi erottaa. Sekin on erittäin onnistunuta, vaikkakin hieman tavallisempaa materiaalia, sisältäen mm. syntikkasäveliä ja puhesampleja. Tyylikkäisiin painettuihin kansiin pakattu "Altar State" kannattaa ehdottomasti hankkia niin kauan kuin pientä painosta riittää, sillä se osoittaa Suomesta löytyvän saman tason dark ambient -tekijöitä kuin STROM.ec ja Grunt ovat raskaan industrialin saralla. Peittoaa monen tunnetumman ulkomaisen artistin mennen tullen.
[Kuolleen Musiikin Yhdistys]