The Current
Potomak, 2020
9/10
This 4th album from the duo of hackedepicciotto is quite possibly their most muscular yet, where the energy and rhythms are manipulated with dense percussion and adventurous electronica is also part of the equation.
“Defiance” starts the album with an iconoclastic approach that’s rooted in droning, mysterious qualities as vocal effects deliver cryptic storytelling, and this unconventional formula continues to the futuristic and tribal like ambience of “Onwards”, as well as the hazy and string friendly title track.
Further into the listen, “The Banishing” offers a busy display of almost dance-rock meets post-punk, while “Third From The Sun” is a slow burning affair with spacey noises amid an ominous, cinematic delivery. “Loreley”, the shortest and most luminous moment, pairs spoken word with an orchestral backdrop as they interpret a classic German poem with ingenuity.
The deeper cuts are also exciting, including the very unusual “Upon Departure”, which recruits thick percussion into the booming environment, and “The Black Pool” concludes the listen with soundbites and soft vocals as ambience and gothic tones fill the tense mood.
Hackedepicciotto consists of Danielle de Picciotto, who is well versed in classical sounds and brings that experience to the record, and Alexander Hacke, who has a long history as a member of the German industrial outfit Einsturzende Neubauten, and together they breed a highly unorthodox dose of self-described ‘cinematic-drone’.
A listen with absolutely zero attempt at commercial appeal, The Current is a dramatic, dark and richly textured example of gloomy prog-rock sensibilities that often unfolds like the soundtrack to another sinister dimension, and, if you’re like me, you’ll be enthralled with every second of it.
Travels well with: Le Grand Sbam- Vaisseau Monde; Subduxtion- The Black Point