This Russian dark ambient act really attracted my attention with some fine contributions to samplers, like “Heilige Feuer”. They also released a very nice 7″ on Albin Julius’ Hau Ruck! label, called Reutraum III. So I was happy to obtain a copy of this new Reutoff 10″, limited to 500 copies, again on Hau Ruck! The record, on nice thick vinyl, contains 4 tracks: Oranus and Urahn on side A, Strafe and Epitaph on the B-side.
On this release Reutoff not only proves its quality again, but also its diversity. This record features an interesting mixture of dark ambient, harsher industrial, martial and classical sounds. The overall mood on “The Fourth face” is often melancholic. ‘Oranus’ is a mysterious dark ambient piece with deep beats. It starts rather minimal, but the composition gets more detailed towards the end, with spoken word adding to the atmosphere. ‘Urahn’ begins with strange eerie vocal sounds and ritual percussion, and gets more energetic as the song evolves, with some surprising rhythms. Combined with some martial and classical influences, strange voices and very nice melodic layers this is a very fine track. There are just so many elements to listen to!
‘Strafe’ opens the B-side, and begins with some ethnic ritual elements, followed by some heavenly choirs. But, as is usual with Reutoff, the song evolves into unexpected directions. The beats and rhythms get more powerful and dominant, almost resembling breakbeats. The song really gets danceable, and the percussion becomes heavier and more epic, even introducing horns. A magnificent track. The last track, ‘Epitaph’, is a tranquil conclusion, a dark soundscape. Again a fascinating release from these talented Russians!
