TRANSMISSION

Norwegian project METATAG is the creative vehicle of two composers who so far prefer to stay anonymous. "Transmission" is, from what I understand, their debut production, and was released digitally and on cassette by the US label Hel Audio in 2014.

"Transmissions" is a fine debut album by Metatag. Their brand of dark, ambient and electronic music isn't one that will appeal to a broad audience I suspect, the often bleak and desolate landscapes explored ones that will intrigue a select few. But if you enjoy minimalistic, ambient electronic music of the instrumental variety, and especially if you enjoy the sound of vintage keyboards, this is a production that should intrigue you. Even more so if you tend to enjoy music of this kind that contains at least some references to the so-called Berlin school of electronic music.

Artist under construction!

METATAG's 2014, "Transmission" is all electronic, the music composition has been transfigured to fit the pure electronic language.

20 short compositions force the listening experience to be minimalistic. The sound engineering has been closely worked out, the short experiments even if weak or notable sound great.

The first 4 songs promise a great album, but around track 5, I understood I was listening to some kind of edits or editions of what sounds to be longer compositions, like "highlights" or scissored sections.

As mentioned the musical proposal weakens itself. Some of the "highlights" are not that bright when put up together. Around track 7 things get on course again, the musical box sound versus deep and fast paced pulses has its charms.

And then again METATAG can't deny his Brian Eno like minimalistic influences, that sound exactly like Eno´s, although enhanced or distorted by the sound engineering. Up to track 10 the sound is by far more obscure and experimental, sometimes it works out, others are not that enticing. Track 14 and 15 are two "dreamy/eerie ambient songs" worth listening to.

The somehow surprising deep abstract intense bass pulses appear to be a quiet unique music language proposal, then again the songwriting has not freed itself completely of other foreign musical idioms. Like track 16 for example, which although a "highlight" still sounds like a TD song, a great one but still a TD one. Track 17 works with the minimal noise/melody ambient song protocols, again the deep basses are clue to enjoy the short experience. Tracks 18 and 19 try on the same idea but in a less original approach. Closing track 20 is also slow paced and minimalistic but entirely magnetic and nostalgic.

The aftertaste is obtuse and difficult to pin point. In general it has this "greatest bits" sound, and sadly as in most "greatest hits" records in my personal experience, I rarely agree that all of those pieces are exactly that great.

It sounds like a promising act, now let's see what follows.

***3.5 PA stars

Who are Metatag? That's the question that's been bothering underground electronica fans for a year now. Just who could create electronica that is so calming, so beautiful, so ethereal, so minimalistic, and even sometimes dissonant, while still in a position to be deemed prog? But whoever these two probably-Norwegians are, we at least have their musical footprints to savour with our ears. Listening through this tapestry, it seems clear they take from the likes of Aphex Twin's second ambient album, and a bit from Young Marble Giants, and then a good slice of Tangerine Dream, and so made the unexpected happen. "Day One" and "Peach Trees" are the best tracks, the latter a standout in to a degree ditching the minimalism and going for a dark, martial take on new wave grooves - Bauhaus meets Laibach, perhaps - while still being ethereal. As the album goes on, it becomes harder and harder not to give a big five to it. Excellent listening.