Electric Mud - 2018 - The Deconstruction Of Light

(52:35; Timezone Records)

Track list:
1. Deadend Mind 11:40
2. Canary in a Cathouse 11:05
3. Black Dog 5:48
4. Suburban Wasteland Blues 4:04
5. Heads in Beds 11:52
6. Through the Gates 4:06
7. Moongarden 4:00

Line-up:
Hagen Bretschneider - bass
Lennart Hüper - guitars
Nico Walser - various instruments, sounds, effects


Prolusion.
German band Electric Mud have been a presence of the German music scene for a decade or thereabouts at this point, and from 2015 and onward they have released new material at a fairly steady pace with their 6th and most recent production "Lost Places" appearing in 2022. Their third album "The Deconstruction Of Light" dates back to 2018, and was released through German label Timezone Records.

Analysis.
Electric Mud, at least as they appear on this album from 2018, is a band that really doesn't fit neither neatly or naturally into any of the more conventional subsets inside of the progressive rock universe, nor do they adhere to any of the more well known traditions as such either. The compositions manage to combine being experimental in form and function as well as exploring fairly accessible landscapes, but at the same time these are sonic experiences that do come with some challenging aspects as well. Accessible music with arguably a bit more of a niche appeal if you like, or unconventional compositions made up of bits and pieces and puzzles that tend to be conventional in nature of you like. Music that for many may well be regarded as a bit of a conundrum.

The songs will skip about and flirt with a myriad of different style elements, and in this case with one song more often than not being markedly different from the next. Some of the may feature very distinctly conventional and broadly appealing passages, like on the highly charming 'Black Dog' which revolves around a dirty repeated arrangement that sounds like a melody and arrangement that sounds like something from Deep Purple's back catalogue, but broken up by psychedelic, straight classic rock and orchestral passages. On the other end of the scale we get two very different sounding instances of more minimalist electronic creations used to conclude the album, where at least for one of these creations a band like Tangerine Dream is very much a possible source of inspiration.

In between we get songs that play around with blues rock, as well as multifaceted creations sporting a small myriad of different parts and orientations where impulses from and deviations into ambient music and cosmic music may be just as much a part of the norm as more aggressive displays closer to progressive metal in style and where dreamladen bits and pieces with a bit more of a jazz or psychedelic presence coexist quite nicely with atmospheric laden Floydian vibes. If there is one common denominator then it may be that we do get a little bit of a cinematic feel here, or that there is a little bit of an otherworldly presence to the landscapes explored here. And that the songs, or should I say landscapes, generally are more interesting to experience than to describe should probably be pointed out as well. That being said, I would also describe this album to be one with more of a niche appeal. A well made and assembled creation for sure, but the overall appeal will be a limited one in my view at least.

Conclusion.
This is an album to take note of for those with a genuine interest in instrumental progressive rock of a more unconventional nature. While the different building blocks used tend to be more conventional in nature as standalone elements, the manner in which they have been assembled does result in music, landscapes, moods and atmospheres that in sum becomes unconventional and rather challenging too. At least on some levels. Where perhaps the most challenging aspect will be to explain to others what you have actually been listening to, and trying to figure it out for yourself may be a bit daunting too when it comes to that. If progressive rock made, explored and executed in a different manner is a description that intrigues you, I suspect this is an album you should find to be rather intriguing.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, December 2023

Links:
https://electricmud.jimdofree.com/
https://timezone-records.com/