The double album ‘God is in the details/ Music for ghosts’ comes in a nice sleeve packaging with ten inserts. The inserts are single-sided and contain (parts of the) ‘lyrics’ used in Hinsidan’s songs.
Mostly I loathe lyrics in ambient/ industrial music but in Hisidan’s case the lyrics are nicely altered by effects and accompany the whole atmosphere, which is (of course) quite cold and dark. Sometimes they annoy me because of the theatrical way in which they are used (moaning, sighing and whispering). This is the case in the track ‘Niel’ which sounds like Peter Steele having a hard time behind his organ, but overall the vocals are a powerful instrument that enhances the atmosphere well.
All songs are pretty interesting. Indeed a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ of musical influences, as the additional info mentions. They feature electronic sounds, woolly sound walls and beats and rhythm patterns that are quite accessible when acquainted with Throbbing Gristle and even Autechre. Sometimes songs are more ambient and sometimes more IDM (‘In God’s corner’) and even a little gothic-popish, which of course is due to the vocals.
The overload of reverbing and echoing sounds give this album a peculiar feeling which is pretty mystical and sometimes even laid-back as in ‘To where we return’ or ‘Forlat’ (that really has a great, somewhat overlapped pattern of distorted repetitive sounds.)
‘Music for ghosts’ starts out with the long and powerful track ‘We glow’, a pounding beat sculpture. The other tracks are very rhythmic as well. The beats are thick and strong, but they never end in harsh technoise attacks. ‘Music for Ghosts’ is therefore much more danceable than ‘God is in the details’. It also lacks the singing.
I would say the double-album by Hinsidan is a well-crafted piece of work. Enjoyable for a wide audience: moody, danceable and rich in variation.
