Steven Wilson Retrospective Part 13: Bass Communion - "I" (April 1998)
- Andrew J. Harper
- Jul 3, 2018
- 5 min read
As a project, Bass Communion has some similarities and some differences from Incredible Expanding Mindfuck. The similarities are that both are largely dominated by Steven Wilson (to the point where he plays all the instruments unless said otherwise), both are entirely instrumental, and both are prone to exploratory song structures.
The differences are more complex. First, the sound of Bass Communion has elements of ambient music and even drone music at times (some have claimed it has qualities of a film score). This makes the music of Bass Communion come from a place far removed from the psychedelic foundation shown with Incredible Expanding Mindfuck. The next major difference with Bass Communion is that this project is where Steven—even more-so than usual—is prone towards radical experimentations with sound, with the limits of what music can be, and with how far conventions can be exploited while still being called ‘music.’ With Porcupine Tree being signed to a different label at this point (they’re in the process of recording Stupid Dream), these are concepts which Steven wouldn’t be able to get away with exploring there. All of this makes Bass Communion the most avant-garde project that Steven has ever done.
All of this should be considered before diving into “I,” Bass Communion’s debut. Let’s get this one rolling, shall we?
Static starts this piece before some light keyboards filter in amongst the static. This creates a feeling akin to a distant calm with something urgent at the forefront of your mind. I suppose one could construe that to be what it’s like to shop.
Not much to say about “Shopping” as it’s a brief ambient piece that can serve more as a lead-in to “Drugged” before.
“Drugged” (13:35)
This track was one I spoiled myself and listened early—an experience that made me think “How in the name of *insert deity here* am I going to write about this?” This isn’t because “Drugged” is bad—quite the opposite. Rather, “Drugged” falls under the avant-garde umbrella so thoroughly that I clearly couldn’t approach it the same way as a song with a conventional structure. Would you write about “Revolution 9” the same way you would about “Helter Skelter?” Of course not! So it stands to reason that this piece—dominated by the soprano sax playing of Theo Travis—can’t be discussed in the same way that I’ve talked about much of Steven’s other work. This is not a piece to be thoroughly analyzed, but a piece to be felt.
The best way to describe the feeling that “Drugged” gives the listener is through a three-word description: ‘beauty through chaos.’ Because all of the undulations which comprise the bulk of “Drugged” initially appear to be as unmusical as can possibly be. However, once things pick up and more layers of sound gradually come into play, things become surreal and almost dream-like in a way that comes across as haunting, ethereal, moving, soothing, and tear-jerking all at once.
You may notice I haven’t gone into depth with what this song sounds like structurally. That’s because it can be a free-form improv session like “Moonloop” was at times. The worst of this is the opening couple of minutes that occur before the synth pattern creates some semblance of order. I know that those opening minutes will frustrate some listeners. All I can say to that is that once the synth pattern arrives at about two-and-a-half minutes into the piece, be prepared to be blown away. This is an incredible piece of music if you give it an open mind and pay close attention. Just make it to 2:30 and let the rest of the song do the work for you—this one’s worth it. If nothing else, it’s majestic background noise. For instance, it’s great towards writing this write-up.
The bottom line is that once the song reaches 2:30, this piece is eleven minutes of one of the most beautiful instrumentals that I’ve ever heard. It’s a piece that brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. And given its melancholy mood, I don’t know whether they’re tears of joy, sorrow, or both.
Like “Drugged,” this piece is more of an ambient style composition that focuses less on structure than on evoking a feeling from the listener. While “Drugged” evoked a case of melancholy bliss, “Sleep Etc” evokes feelings of dread and terror. There are sounds in here that seem unnerving at first, but are even more so when you ponder what it could possibly be. For instance, the early parts of this have a sloshing water sound that you can hear something else over the top of it: a fucked-up, out-of-tone music box. Eventually, there’s some droning violins you can barely hear in the distance….wait, I’m going into structure again.
Bottom line is that “Sleep Etc” will make a listener tense just like “Drugged” will make them relaxed. Needless to say, “Sleep Etc” isn’t a piece of music to listen to before going to bed. That Steven can capture both sensations so startlingly well speaks to his abilities as a musician.
The mood that “Orphan Coal” aims to convey isn’t so clear, but this is a strange bit of music that’s probably the most experimental on the album. Apart from the foundational drum rhythm, the main sounds that fuel this are bizarre keyboard effects—the first of which I can’t even begin to guess how Steven achieved. While this one is slow, it builds up—eventually adding some discernable bass. However, this one doesn’t do it for me as much as “Sleep Etc” or “Drugged.” In fact, I was glad when this one was done—which is something I haven’t said about anything of Steven Wilson’s since On the Sunday of Life.
Oh, Robert Fripp—you and your gorgeous soundscapes! I thought that this track would be a pale imitation of the original “Drugged” without Theo Travis’s heavenly soprano sax, but I was wrong. “Drugged 2” starts as slowly as the original “Drugged,” but not as discordantly. So just follow the same procedure as the first “Drugged” and go along for the ride as this ambient dream-scape sucks you in and brings tears of joy to my eyes!
Final Thoughts:
As far as the material on Bass Communion’s “I” goes, this album is background noise. Therefore, it wouldn’t be fair for me to compare it to material from No-Man, Incredible Expanding Mindfuck, or Porcupine Tree. However, the electronic and ambient influences make me think that this is what Altamont should’ve been in the first place. Therefore, this is an older Steven re-visiting the ideas he had as a teen, but with a far more mature approach that works better for this kind of music. So much better that it makes me glad to explore what else Bass Communion has in store.
In case I hadn’t said it enough already, “Drugged” is the highlight of the album and you should listen to it. Everything else (save “Drugged 2”) can be skipped.
The Next Ten:
* Porcupine Tree - "Stupid Dream" (March 1999)
* Bass Communion - "II" (July 1999)
* Porcupine Tree - "Lightbulb Sun" (May 22, 2000) [probably a good PT album for first-timers]
* Bass Communion - "III" (March 2001)
* No-Man - "Returning Jesus" (March 27, 2001)
* Incredible Expanding Mindfuck - "Arcadia Son" (May 2001)
* Incredible Expanding Mindfuck - "IEM Have Come For Your Children" (September 2001)
* Porcupine Tree - "In Absentia" (September 24, 2002)
* No-Man - "Together We're Stranger" (September 2, 2003)
* Blackfield - "Blackfield" (January 2004)
댓글