steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
info opinion

Neuron Nest

"Midwife for Black Nights" CDR

Infinite Sector

Genres: electronica, ambient, electro

artist website

Dec 22 - 28 2003

It's always the ugly ones that exceed expectations.  Take Neuron Nest's Midwife for Black Nights, for example.  The cover is poorly printed, the liner notes are curiously laid-out upside down, and the whole thing looks relatively shoddy and homemade.  Plus the press sheet claims that Midwife is an experimental electronic project.  That's never good - most of the time homemade projects of the sort come off sounding like Fennesz filtered through a microwave.

But there are exceptions.  Like Neuron Nest's S. Davies, who has actually done quite a bit with the eight songs on this interesting album.  Armed with Protools and a veritable truckload of samples, Davies has created an enjoyable, moody, oftentimes creepy album that combines elements of ambient, electronic, and industrial music.

"Seabed Secret" is a definite highlight on Midwife.  Featuring a delicate piano melody, and some neat bass playing, it almost sounds like Fight Club-era Dust Brothers material.  "Pandora's Keepers," meanwhile, is a funereal piece of dark electronica with some bizarre, creepy vocals.

Though Midwife is not perfect (care to explain "The Tin Fairy," Neuron?), there's some really good stuff to behold on this album - a lot more than you might expect, at least.  So if you're into obscure, homemade electronic music, you can do no harm giving Neuron Nest a chance.

84%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 8 tracks, distributed by the artist, released 2003]