MaeBeaNot – drifting away from reality
MaeBeaNot – drifting away from reality – EP Review
I caught this clip of a track called “suffering” online on the official YouTube channel for MaeBeaNot and thought, well…MaeBeaSo really…this kind of audible oddity is usually something I find that I’m into. If it wasn’t, I reckon I probably wouldn’t have this Aphex Twin tattoo on my forearm, now would I? So down the rabbit hole we go once again…let’s check out what’s happening in this project based outta Denmark.
Similar to sounds you might find in catalogs by K-ORA or GGOM, but without diving too far into the dark, “fleeting emotions” comes out likely to be more palatable than many would realize if they were to just judge MaeBeaNot from what you hear in a track like “suffering” as a sample on YouTube. “fleeting emotions” does an exceptional job of balancing a murky beauty with its melancholy, and I’m cool with that. I have no idea what creates that particular sound about seven seconds in…that’s why I compared MaeBeaNot to GGOM…that dude is convinced he hears demons in the daylight, and that they show up in his work…and while I don’t know what one officially sounds like, “fleeting emotions” seems to have a demon or a gremlin or something weird show up before you’re even ten seconds in. What I really liked was that it wasn’t like…being forced upon us, you know what I mean? Sometimes the best of the bizarre displays real craft and artistry…and more often than not, it’s actually quite subtle & unimposing. That’s what I felt like we got here with “fleeting emotions” – I really love the distance in the piano, I love the ominously ambient tone that seems to hang in the air for much of the first half of this opening cut, and I love that this whole opening track feels like we just walked into a performance that’s already on the go. Great production, clever ideas, brilliantly understated…this should all pique your curiosity and interest.
Don’t get me wrong, just because I’d sit and listen to a track like “desensitized from all the screams” doesn’t at all imply that I’d expect everyone out there would feel the same way. In fact, I’d say that if you’re in one of those cities with an underground tube or a Skytrain like we have here where I live, you’ve basically heard what “desensitized from all the screams” sounds like…there is…practically no difference between this and the sound of public transit in some places. And that’s not me saying you’ll hear a bunch of people talking or footsteps or anything human-related really…I’m referring more to the sound of the technology and transportation itself – that’s what this track sounds like, to me. So you get pretty close to four minutes of strangeness that sounds like you’re getting closer to your next stop, with it speeding up and slowing down along the way. If you’re a mainstream music kinda person, you’d have no hope in hell getting into a track like “desensitized from all the screams,” but MaeBeaNot is well aware of that already…I’m not explaining anything they wouldn’t already know. This ain’t music for the masses, and that’s obviously intentional by design. No complaints from me though so far. I get that I’m probably not gonna be in the mood for “desensitized from all the screams” every day, but to be honest with ya, I’d probably be into it more days than you’d think…it’s interesting to me, and oddly relaxing. I don’t know if that’s the intended effect of this song, but yeah…something about it is weirdly soothing to me. For context though, I’m also one of those people that has no problem falling asleep on planes or on the bus, at a movie theater, or likely even in the middle of a construction zone (haven’t tested that one yet but it’s the theory I’m working with)…I find all kinds of odd noise really comforts & calms me down. So while I’d be the first to acknowledge that “desensitized from all the screams” don’t exactly do a hell of a lot, what it does, it does right. Again, to me it’s as interesting to listen to as it is to wonder how it would get made in the first place. Most musicians would be way too tempted to add more into this cut.
The “heavy pressure of nothing,” you say? So…you mean like…life? Like as in how we all walk around with this giant weight upon our shoulders like something actually means anything, when nothing is real? There’s that gremlin in the mix again…around the 1:10 mark. I feel like I should be specific, lest some of you have a listen, never hear it, and end up convinced that I’M the crazy one. That ain’t happening – not on my watch. I mean, I AM the crazy one, but not for hearing strange noises where they clearly exist, like they do in “heavy pressure of nothing.” Is someone going to try & convince me this is ‘black metal’ again? That happens every so often. I’ll admit, I don’t have a better label or category or genre to put MaeBeaNot into other than simply labeling it as Experimental music, but that’s also largely because I’m not putting a lot of thought into it and because all labels are bullshit anyway. I am…hmmm…how DO I feel about “heavy pressure of nothing” when it comes right down to it? Almost indifferent here, to a degree, I suppose. I feel like it’s a fairly logical extension of what we just heard in “desensitized from all the screams,” and that if there were no break in the two songs, I’d simply figure that it was one big long song instead. So…obviously, you know that I enjoyed listening to “desensitized from all the screams” already and I’ve made my case for it – and yes, you can correctly assume that means I’d enjoy “heavy pressure of nothing” too, which is true. I have small concerns in regards to how long the record could continue in this vein without me twitching or getting a little anxious about its deadpan ambience I guess, or that these two tracks back-to-back don’t quite have enough deviation in them to distinguish one from the other for most listeners…but I’m still willing to go along with it for the moment to see where it leads.
Yeah…this one’s tough dear readers, dear friends. As I checked out “taste of death coursing through” and felt like we’re basically keeping on with the ambient/transit sounds goin’ on…I know the level of accessibility is practically non-existent here for most folks that would be tuning in. I maintain that I’m cooler than that though, so yes, I’m still willing to advocate on behalf of drifting away from reality and it being well worth your time to listen to if you’re the kind of person that likes to hear something different. That’s not me saying it’s going to leave you completely in awe…I don’t think I’d go that far with my assessment – but it is a fascinating record by definition. The uniqueness is tangible, the production is genuinely outstanding, and most people probably haven’t heard anything like this in the music scene for the most part. There’s value in being different, and there’s always art found in being different too…so yeah…don’t get it twisted, I’m in favor of what I hear on drifting away from reality, even if I don’t think it’ll make sense to the court of public opinion. I could care less about that, and I’m sure MaeBeaNot feels the same way too – you simply don’t make records like this if you’re worried about what people are going to think about it. Again, this is all very similar to stuff you’d find in ISON, or in K-ORA on an independent level…call it Experimental, or Drone, or Dark Ambient…like I said earlier, the label that comes with it hardly matters, but it is somewhat crucial to know this ain’t gonna be like what most of you have on your playlists. I’m sure that every artist/band/project like MaeBeaNot gets a million comments about how their music would be perfect for makings Sci-Fi films or being a part of a soundtrack of some kind…so I’ll just assume that’s all been pointed out and said already. I certainly agree with that assessment…but yeah…I’m sure MaeBeaNot doesn’t need to hear it over and over again. We continue down the spiral with “taste of death coursing through,” like we’re on a ride into oblivion.
More gremlins continue to gurgle out at the start of “years gone of regretting life” – maybe that’s just MaeBeaNot’s thing? Maybe that’s how you tell MaeBeaNot apart from anything else like Kendrick Lamar or Mariah Carey or Nirvana…you hear them gremlins gurgling, and you’re like, right, that’s clearly MaeBeaNot and not anyone else. Signature sound. That kind of thing. So…yeah…I mean…at this point in the record, I wasn’t assuming that we’re going to hear anything different than the whooshing sounds we’ve been hearing, but also hoping that we would. Not for my sake…like I told ya earlier, I’d sit and listen to this record all day, and have been for much of the time since I’ve had it…but for the masses out there potentially tuning in, there has been precious little on display that would distinguish one track from the others, and they kinda need a little something to keep them listening/retain their attention. If that’s not the goal, obviously that doesn’t matter…if MaeBeaNot is simply looking to make music they enjoy and for the niche audience of others that would enjoy it too, then keep on keepin’ on I say. I’ll put it to you this way though…I’m as much of a fan of “years gone of regretting life” as I would be of any of the rest – that’s how little really separates on track from the others – it would be crazy for me to like one and not what else is included in the set-list. To this point on drifting away from reality, you really hear the most difference in “fleeting emotions,” and the rest of the set goes on to stick very close to a similar script shared between the lineup in terms of sound, style, composition, production, etc. etc. It is certainly a consistent record in that regard, and no one could take that away from MaeBeaNot’s music.
I started to wonder if the dude would bookend drifting away from reality with another track that might resemble how it all began, or if we’d continue on with the transit-esque sounds for the finale. Should I keep you guessing, so that when you listen for yourself it’s a complete surprise, or should I just spoil it for you now? I’m going with the latter route…so heads up, spoiler alert – MaeBeaNot has become fully entrenched in these whispering wind-like sounds, and that’s the way it’ll remain right to the end of this record. Like I said, the consistency is certainly present & accounted for…and I’d imagine that’ll work both for and against it in the long run. Most folks are gonna need more diversity and deviation within a set of songs to keep them engaged, but there will be some like myself that appreciate this record for the meditative qualities it contains. Whether that’s intentional or not…honestly, that’s impossible to say for certain…only MaeBeaNot would know the answer to that for sure. “death waiting for the last breath” wraps up this journey through the sonic tunnel of shadows concisely, and again, if you enjoyed the previous four songs before it, one would have to assume you enjoyed this last track as well. Interesting that “fleeting emotions” had the most diverse moment on the entire record…having that up front in the set-list likely gives listeners a way different impression of what they’re about to be listening to. I guess that’s where folks like myself come in to help clarify what you’re really in-store for. I’m a little perplexed by MaeBeaNot, but also quite intrigued too if I’m being completely honest with you. I think it’s fair to say that most artists/bands wouldn’t have made a record like this, which kind of makes me like it even more. It’s daring in the strangest of ways, and unflinching in how it chooses to present its material. It ain’t gonna be for everybody, that much I can confirm…but oddly enough, I do feel like it appeals to me.
Find more music from MaeBeaNot at Bandcamp here: https://maebeanot.bandcamp.com
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