Annulus – t-Projection
Recommendation: ✂ (“Onyo, “LG Compex”, “Vuvu”, “Autoconvolution”, “Mitzu”)
t-Projection was the first release of Question Records, a UK label founded by vapor(-wave) and classical artist methyr. Produced by the pseudonymous/anonymous artist Annulus, t-Projection was a hell of a way for Question Records to start off. Although the foundations of Question Records are in classic-style vaporwave and ECCOJAMS, t-Projection is a highly experimental vapornoise full-length with a heterogeneous production.
Unlike the motley approach of ANOMALY by ASCEND (another Question Records release), the extremes taken by t-Projection are successful in their eminent disparateness by which to highlight the unsettling effects of noise music. For example, the high-speed chatter on “LG Complex” that suddenly gives way to the drone chord of “Vuvu” (which fittingly sounds like a vuvuzela) emphasizes the weirdness of either. The almost new-age texture of “Autoconvolution” is broken by the quiet vocal screw of “Onyo”, which prepares the listener for the pure noise and feedback of “Mitzu”.
Annulus also makes heavy use of shifting volumes in between tracks. On other releases, such variance would be a sign of poor mixing, but it’s successful here when performed in tandem with the diverse song composition. As mentioned before, “Onyo” is so quiet as to be considered lowercase music, which makes the falcon punch of “Mitzu” that much stronger.1 Most songs are quite short (nine between one and two minutes), imparting little bit-sized vignettes to the listener in a format that does not wear out each song’s welcome and keeps up the craziness. Then – as with the loud and/or drone songs – the longer ones act as perverse palette-cleansers for the next round while being mildly shocking in their own right.
Most aspects of t-Projection are incongruous. It’s certainly vapornoise, but it doesn’t get completely out of hand to the extent of being unlistenable or totally inconsistent with itself. A slightly conceptually-related work would be INFINITE 新しい生命システムの音 by ULTRACOMPUTER, which takes a signalwave approach to vapornoise. t-Projection may be far more on the “noise” side of vapornoise (much less signalwave), but it has a similar quality of planned disorder that mostly works for it.
Tracklist
1. A New Dawn – (1:19)
2. Corridor – (1:00
3. Andromeda online – (2:24)
4. Library – (1:00)
5. LG Complex – (3:01)
6. Vuvu – (1:17)
7. Loop Group – (1:29)
8. KAWAII.IMG – (0:36)
9. Amarylis – (1:05)
10. Modular Dusk – (1:00)
11. Autoconvolution – (1:25)
12. Onyo – (1:40)
13. Mitzu – (3:35)
14. Bells of Barnabas- (4:06)
1I can’t believe I made that reference. Who writes this shit?