Hadakanacht
Their name is a real mouthful, and their song titles are pretty hefty too, Getintothis’ Beth Parker tries to digest a mesmerising collaboration.
Plagiarizing the Pegasus/Bloodletting of Chan-Bahlum in H Minor may not roll off the tongue as easily as other song titles, but this debut release between Rest Relax Records label mates Hadaka, and the solo project of Liverpool producer Jonny Davis, Mitternacht, is one to take note of.
Mitternacht and Hadaka, or to put it more succinctly, Hadakanacht, have teamed up to create a single and accompanying video full of suspense and tension. This 05:20 minute instrumental piece is not for the fainthearted. PG viewers be warned.
The track begins innocently enough with a gentle pitter patter of chimes which are under ridden by only a slight whisper of white noise, however, it’s not long before a repetitive tremolo intrudes to make you realise that all will not be as it first seemed. The slow building and layering of harmonies in Plagiarizing the Pegasus/Bloodletting of Chan-Bahlum in H Minor is what makes it so awesomely beautiful. Within the first minute and a half, the song is given rich textures so, what first began with singular tolls, is soon a tiering of strings, drones and reverbs which quickly accent, heightening our mood.
It’s tense and slowly builds anticipation, which has us at the edge of our seat. But this is less American Psycho and more 1984, for the lingering discomfort which has been growing culminates into a cacophony of electronica, which for a minute fights for space, to only then mesmerisingly and hypnotically peter off to an abrupt halt.
Yet Plagiarizing the Pegasus/Bloodletting of Chan-Bahlum in H Minor is not only an indulgence for the aural senses as the video produced alongside the release should most definitely not be ignored. Recorded from the wing of a plane it begins with the plane’s gentle take off from the runway.
However, filmed in pink and white tones, the view we see is distorted and never allows full focus upon one part of the screen at a time. Thus, at times we see a pinkish town in the distance whilst our sky is a harsh white blur and the plane wing is barely to be seen. The wing is in full focus whilst the town has disappeared, overpowered by blinding white. These calm exchanges on screen are the perfect contradiction to the growing altercations which Hadakanacht produce aloud.
Both haunting and mesmerising, this is experimental collaboration at its best, created after a series of email exchanges back and forth between the two. Keep an eye out for the album which is to be released on tape and digital on September 27 2014 or you can pre-order now at: http://www.restrelaxrecords.co.uk/hadakanacht—hadakanacht.html.
