Zweizz - The Yawn Of The New AgeVendlus Records
Former DHG-collaborator Svein Hatlevik has been doing Zweizz since 2003 (although in the liner notes the music on Yawn... is credited as being recorded between 2000-2006), after leaving the keyboard position of DHG for a more noise-based mixture of black metal elements, noise, and 'intelligent dance music' (or IDM).
Yawn Of The New Age is a headfuck. The majority of it's content is not traditionally musical, but that is not a criticism. On the contrary, Zweizz has succeeded at producing the equivalent of a 1,000 foot tall (bright pink) middle-finger. The tracks are electronic madness incorporating synth blast-beats, somber tones, occasional inaudible vocals, and tons of atmosphere. Layer all that with what sounds like bombs dropping and countless other bit-crushed ambient noise and you've got a slight idea of what you're in for with Yawn Of The New Age.
'Thank You In The Face' is 3:58 of ambient noise (sounding much like bugs and bats) and vocals being delivered through what sounds like a Speak & Spell. During the occasional breaks in vocals a collage of what sounds like fair ride jingles (think the tune played on carousels), chopped up and played backwards, serve as a 'chorus'. This is speculation, of course, as most of the sounds on Yawn Of The New Age are unidentifiable to my ears.
Zweizz is adept at creating chilling atmosphere, for instance 'Catacomb'. Beginning with a disjointed synth line and falling off into a sample loop of echoing bells and pulsing distorted sounds that sound like a child's toy piano in a cave. There is much to absorb, despite the minimalist approach used here (as opposed to tracks like 'Nowadays Only The Boring Is So Frustrating' which are a brain bomb).
There are many sides to Zweizz on Yawn Of The New Age, all of which may turn the unadventurous to run and hide. A few tracks in I found my 'sea legs' and was hooked.
