reviews

Attrition - The Eternity LP- from Liar Society 2007

The Eternity LP is quintessential Attrition .  Comprised of the previously released Eternity EP (97 - which featured four re-workings of classically-inspired songs from Etude ) and five cuts from 99's Kissing a Virtual Angel EP.  As such, the songs range from the violin, electronics, and operatic vocal-fueled darkwave of "I Am (Eternity)" and "Cold Genius" to the more ambient, virtuosic "A Virtual Angel" and "Illuminati."  While many repackaged and remastered albums in this vein are generally limited in appeal to completeists, The Eternity LP actually works as a rather fine introduction to Attrition's singular sense of aesthetics.  Much like the work of Bernard Herrmann , Attrition's soundscapes are darkly cinematic, hinting at the horror that lurks just off-screen.  The atmosphere is melancholic, but with the expectation that something is about to happen...and it's that tension that makes this music so very worthwhile.   

Attrition - The Eternity LP- from Musictap.net 2007

Attrition helped to line the experimental industrial market of the early ‘80s, thus establishing themselves, alongside pioneers Coil, and The Legendary Pink Dots.  Framed by a gothic appeal with their classical infusions, Attrition created albums that were, in their vastly experimental and avant-garde nature, unique musical blends of post-punk,electronica, and classical music.

Martin Bowes, has, over the years, paid close attention to his back catalogue.  Not long ago, Bowes began his own label, Two Gods, and started remastering and reissuing his collection of albums and EPs.  In addition to cleaning up the tapes, he has reissued with new art, and, as in the case of The Eternity LP, combined some separate releases.  The newly christened The Eternity LP is the combination of the Projekt-released 4-track The Eternity EP (1997), and the 5-track Kissing a virtual angel EP (1999) (Ars Benevola Mater label), both OOP (out of print) titles.

The Eternity EP was a remixing of older songs, mostly from the band's Etude album.  The songs were enhanced with violins and viola from Franck Dematteis of the Paris Opera, adding a beauty and charm that is especially exemplified on the EP's track, “At the Fiftieth Gate (a slight return),” from the album of the same title sans the parenthetical addition.  The riveting “Feel the Backlash” is an extraordinary tune, enchanting and gorgeous in its classicism.

The Kissing a virtual angel EP begins with “Prelude,” reworked from the Dematteis composition found on 3 Arms and a Dead Cert, rich in its stringed instrumentation.  “A Virtual Angel” is a remixed extraction from Jeopardy Maze.  The remaining tracks are unreleased pieces.

Clearly, it is the expert composition work of Bowes and his suffused violin and viola of Dematteis blends that make this collection of songs so peacefully refreshing.  As we've come to expect, Martin Bowes does not disappoint.

Attrition - The Eternity LP- fromRegen magazine 2008

Combining the original Eternity EP with the out of print Kissing a Virtual Angel CD, this reissue from Attrition founder Martin Bowes' own Two Gods label looks at Attrition's classical side from several perspectives. Particularly interesting are the first four tracks, which feature remixes from Etude , itself a collection of classic Attrition songs rearranged within the classical mode. "Feel the Backlash" and "At the Fiftieth Gate," then, started their lives as early darkwave tracks, then were reworked as moody chamber music pieces, and now find new life yet again, with the violin and viola of Franck Dematteis underscored by subtle electronic bass lines.
More overtly electronic are "I Am (Eternity)," which sets the throaty operatic vocals of frequent Attrition collaborator Julia Waller to a moody trip-hop beat, and "Cold Genius," an interpretation of a song by Purcell featuring Waller's staccato soprano bouncing over a throbbing techno pulse.
The second part of this CD, originally released as Kissing a Virtual Angel on Italy's Ars Benevola Mater label, is more purely classical, starting off with a new version of "Prelude," the gorgeous violin piece originally used as the introduction to the 3 Arms and a Dead Cert album. "A Virtual Angel" begins with creaking ambience before Dematteis' strings take on a more romantic character, while "Metamorphosis," true to its name, sees Bowes manipulating the bowed strings with hints of reverb and digital delay. "'Illuminati'" is all gorgeous layered harmony, and "L'echange" brings back the synths with a hint of delicate pads resting underneath the staccato viola.
Bowes himself is as talented a producer as he is a songwriter, and that really stands out here; content to bow out of the spotlight, he's behind the scenes here, working to make sure his collaborators' talents are presented in the best light possible.
The result is a beautifully affecting collection of neo-classical pieces that bear little resemblance to their original versions. While a familiarity with Attrition's catalog makes this an especially fascinating foray for long-time fans, anyone with an ear for chamber music will find something to appreciate here.