Vinyl release. Permafrost was originally issued in 1993 and marked the conclusion of Thomas Köner's epic and influential trilogy which included Nunatak (TYPE 069LP) and Teimo (TYPE 070LP). Darker and even more subdued and minimal than its predecessors, Permafrost was the album which saw Köner truly strip the sound back to the bare essentials; gone were the hints of harmony found in Teimo and the discernable gong sounds of Nunatak. All that remained were the deep, shadowy resonances, roomy ambience and gaseous drones that would become Köner's calling card in the "dark ambient" genre. Listening to the record almost 20 years after its original release, the most shocking thing is how little it has aged. Its sound is so otherworldly -- the creeping low-end rumbles, distant icy tonal blasts and croaking occidental winds -- that it contextualizes the record with little else composed. The restraint Köner shows marks him out from his contemporaries and imitators -- there are few other records that have used silence (or near silence) so effectively. Quieter passages are employed to enhance the terrifying thrill of the more abrasive, rumbling peaks and the result is a narrative of unfaltering power. For instrumental music, ambient or otherwise, Permafrost is a foundational album. The word "classic" is bandied about all too often these days, but 20 years after it was first released, Permafrost is just as powerful as it ever was, and still absolutely unmatched in the genre. Cut at Berlin's Dubplates and Mastering. Strictly limited copies only.
Details
Cat. number: TYPE071
Year: 2010
