Dismal Rift

About Album

Dismal Rift is the fourth album by Outer Gods, an Atlanta, GA based Avant-garde duo that have been active in various art forms since 2011. They have performed live soundtracks to the films Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome and Kwaidan, and released cassettes on local labels Big Blonde, Classic Cult Grotesque and Persistentmidnight. The duo has performed as a part of the recurring “Respite from the Cold” ambient music series at the Eyedrum Gallery and participated in the “Solar Heresies” art show at the Mammal Gallery, both in Atlanta. They are confirmed believers in the concept and lifestyle of “deep listening.”

Label

Stickfigure

Genres

Ambient Drone Experimental

Release Date

June 24, 2016

Available Lyrics

Album Review

The idea of sound as music always seems to receive mixed reactions. Some folks love it, some folks hate it. We're in the first category, and we're particularly fond of artists who can create sound that is soothing and cerebral. Outer Gods is a purely artistic endeavor created by two musicians in Atlanta, Georgia. Our first reaction upon hearing Dismal Rift was...that these folks are working in territory that is very similar to Nashville, Tennessee's Hammock (a favorite here in babysueland). The tracks on this album are hypnotic and subtle...so much so that they can just as easily be listened to as ignored, and you just might find your consciousness failing at some point if the transcendent sounds have their intended effect. Five cuts here that could be described as drone, ambient, atmospheric, modern classical, or purely experimental. These folks are really good at what they do. After the album is over, you may find yourself hitting repeat...without ever quite knowing what it was you heard the last time. Intriguing and puzzling.

Baby Sue Magazine

You don’t so much listen to Outer Gods as you experience their music in the cerebral sense of the word. Their compositions are by turns harsh and haunting, brutal and beatific in a manner that can be unnerving for those who are either unacquainted or unprepared for the level of patience and endurance their works often demand. Take, for instance, “Black Mountain Drone,” the lead track from the duo’s upcoming fourth LP, Dismal Rift. It’s twenty-five minutes of elegiac synth swells, ambient drone, and claustrophobic white noise that feels daunting at times, but succeeds in large degree to the suspenseful cinematic atmosphere that surrounds it. The accompanying video, which we’re excited to premiere today, focuses its attention on just a small fragment of the track, making it more palatable for the casual listener. Visually it appears fairly nondescript — just a series of slowly morphing white static designs that look like so many undulating Rorschach ink blots. Much like the composition itself, its surface level feels abstract and amorphous, but the longer you immerse yourself in its shifting forms, the more clearly the patterns begin to emerge. It’s a striking piece, but it only really works if you take the time to unravel its many mysteries.