Hermann Kopp has
managed to make a somewhat remarkable name for himself over the
years. Due to his involvement in the score of Jörg Buttgereit's
highly acclaimed low budget film “Nekromantik”, the various
releases on the German cult label “Galakthorrö” and the
uniqueness of his style, Hermann is one of those artists who are
always sure to attract attention with whatever they do. Lorenzo
Abattoir, on the other hand, is an up and comer whose work seems to
have remained under the radar, although he has been doing releases
under various monikers for some years.
Together, they form
the project “Psicompo”. In the enclosed texts, this term is
defined as “a guide who accompanies the dying to the underworld”
and the theme of their first CD release “Synchronicity (Theory of
Carl Jung)” is exactly what the title states: the concept of
synchronicity as researched by said psychologist. The album features
four collaborative tracks and one solo track by each artist.
Lorenzo Abattoir's
track starts the CD off in a worthy fashion. “Blackfrock” is a
pretty subtle and well-conceived blend of atmospheric, musical sounds
and murky, warm noise (somewhat reminiscent of some Swedish artists).
Especially the noisy parts turn out to be very pleasing and
ambitious, but the effect is probably a result of the interaction
between the two different types of sound, most of all. One can only
hope to hear more work of this ilk by the artist in the future. In
the next track “Trovatore”, Hermann Kopp utilises a style similar
to the one known from albums like “Zyanidanger”. Dreamy
synth-sounds mixed with Hermann's semi-dissonant, intense violin
playing and some shrill noise frequencies in the background add up to
a neat sound-package, which evolves nicely throughout its running
time. Together, they make a great introduction to the core tracks of
“Synchronicity (Theory of Carl Jung)” - although Lorenzo
Abattoir's song may be the superior one.
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| Lorenzo Abattoir |
The four
collaboration tracks which are to follow mix the melodic aspects from
the respective solo tracks with rhythmic percussion. Whereas the
latter remains subtle at all times, the melodies are definitely the
centre of attention. The sounds in “Synchronicity (Theory of Carl
Jung)” are extremely well crafted (as is always the case with
virtually everything including Hermann Kopp) and are allowed to flow
freely, resulting in a very special and rare atmosphere. It is
important to note that Psicompo is definitely more rooted in
experimental music territory than in stereotypical “noise”. The
sounds are varied, but, despite their improvised nature, never seem
sloppy or like uninspired, pointless doodling. There is always
something going on, always something to sink your teeth into. Those
few moments in which the quality appears to drift off are always
prevented instantly, also due to the rhythmic elements. Although it
is hard to name a stand-out track, “PP2” and “PP4” maybe
manage to incorporate the spirit of the project most of all. It may
take some time to figure out the aesthetic mechanisms of Psicopompo,
but once that deed is done, the two musicians leave no doubt that
this vision works out exactly as it is intended to.
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| Hermann Kopp |
Hermann Kopp and
Lorenzo Abattoir's collaboration album is truly great. “Synchronicity
(Theory of Carl Jung)” is definitely a challenging listen and
demands a lot more than merely one spin, but if the listener gives it
the necessary attention, it gets better and better with each
rotation. Psicopompo has a lot of positive traits that many releases
lack, especially nowadays: an intelligent concept, a real soul and a
feeling of freshness that enriches a level of quality known from some
old (and new) classics by an established artist. As is always the
case with 4iB Recordings, the presentation is also marvellous.
Terrific!
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