Jamal Moss, aka Hieroglyphic Being, aka Insane Black Man (IBM) is best known for creating music that draws from EDM and industrial influences, to name but a few. From The Land has now been released under the latter moniker, culling its tracks from recordings that were generated between 1995-2005. Despite the fact that these tracks were drawn from a period of time during which musical trends and fixations varied wildly, this collection remains surprisingly coherent.
The first half of this album features tracks that are heavily industrial; distortion, intense driving beats and crispy synths all feature prominently. It's all very in-your-face and brazen. The latter half is more cold and distant, toning down the aforementioned influences in favour of a more subtle approach. In this section the tracks are less busy, and do not rely so heavily on distortion and noise. "Tribal Retribution," a composition with a redundant, driving beat and what sounds like a sample of a traditional Hindi vocalist so distorted it sounds like a radio station with a weak signal playing through a broken speaker. On the other hand, "Sanctification for the Heathens" is very much an EDM track; it starts off with a basic beat and synths, and gradually adds layers of subtle noise and rhythms.
Whether due to the grating, unrelenting distortion and noise of the first half, or the relatively understated EDM compositions of the latter portion of the album, there's not a lot here that's memorable, as both have been done far better by others. This release is for diehard fans only.
(Interdimensional Transmissions)The first half of this album features tracks that are heavily industrial; distortion, intense driving beats and crispy synths all feature prominently. It's all very in-your-face and brazen. The latter half is more cold and distant, toning down the aforementioned influences in favour of a more subtle approach. In this section the tracks are less busy, and do not rely so heavily on distortion and noise. "Tribal Retribution," a composition with a redundant, driving beat and what sounds like a sample of a traditional Hindi vocalist so distorted it sounds like a radio station with a weak signal playing through a broken speaker. On the other hand, "Sanctification for the Heathens" is very much an EDM track; it starts off with a basic beat and synths, and gradually adds layers of subtle noise and rhythms.
Whether due to the grating, unrelenting distortion and noise of the first half, or the relatively understated EDM compositions of the latter portion of the album, there's not a lot here that's memorable, as both have been done far better by others. This release is for diehard fans only.