MACHINE! FIRE! GHOST!

Well what have we here? Something very special indeed from Norway. The EP is available as a download and you can listen to it all right here on the Progarchives so no complaints from me, and I am willing to give anything a go.

First word to describe it - Beautiful. A very entrancing beautific tranquil sound throughout, yet it all feels so sorowful and melancholy and their are shade of dark. One is reminded of Godspeed You! Black Emperor - the rawness of the sound and the infinite patience of how each track builds up, almost entirely instrumental but not quite. 'Jan Mayen Skyline' builds with a nice acoustic guitar and then an off beat drum and some very mournful violins that are played with virtuoso skill.

Second word to describe it - Encapsulating. 'We Lined Up and Ate Fire' begins with a more commercial feel - jangly guitar riffs and then the groove kicks in, repetitive and building all the time. I love the breaks in the rhythm and how it returns to the main motif. Towards the end it builds to a crescendo with a repeating lick and a rather heavy riff and very well played. It is pleasant and encapsulating. There are defined breaks in structure as each piece begins and it is one of the best tracks on the EP. Third word to describe it - Ethereal. Untitled features a disembodied voice that tells us concerning reality that man needs irrational morality and logic to exist. After this bizarre introduction another guitar chord progression locks in with swooshing cymbal patterns. There are times of serene beauty and these are complimented by washes of effects and cymbal splashes. The tone gets darker with each progression and the voice reminds us again of the irrational state of mind. The drums get frantically irregular and the whole thing begins to pound and crash drowning out the serenity. It is mesmirising music featuring Anders' and Kristian's jagged guitar solos and percussive showmanship from Pål. Lars Erik's bass is admirable too, complimenting it all and keeping a constant ryhthm that moves in a variety of directions but maintains consistency. The vocals burst in and out of the cacophony of sound. I absolutely love this.

Fourth word to describe it - Ambience. IK+ blends seamlessly from Untitled and moves in a variety of directions, never really settling on one time signature. It begins very smoothly and serenely, with wind effects to add to the overall ambience of isolation. The bizarre soundwaves seem to transport us to a deserted place, perhaps in the middle of some glacial planet or alien desert. There is a break in metrical pattern and it shifts into a faster off- beat guitar riff with Pål's daring off kilter drums. Once again it is never dull as it continually shifts in time signatures but there is enough to lock onto to keep the momentum going. This is an incredible achievement for a debut EP.

In conclusion, the EP is beautiful, encapsulating, ethereal ambience. It is difficult to absorb at times, but this is a nice change in pace to the average prog band, and is a lot more accessible than other Post/Math Rock I have heard that are very much in the experimental phase and difficult to listen to. I recommend 1099 as a relaxing journey onto some cosmic glacial planet. 1099's techno ambience is icey landscape music like no other band I have heard. All the tracks have a strange ambience and blend into one powerful journey.

So take the 1099 test now - you will likely enjoy the experience.