Forest Fergus (Altek, Clipped angel wings) is a musician based in Indiana. He places more emphasis on his sound/texture than his compositions; with songs often composed of several layers of guitar, synth, and noise to create all encompassing, ethereal drones.
His latest release “The Passenger” is his most intense to date. Each of the four tracks are over twenty minutes long and delve into some of the most hypnotic and menacing territory you can possibly imagine.
“The Passenger 1” leads things off with a massive swell of atmospheric bliss that is very mechanical and spacey at the same time. The sounds make me think of what it be like if an astronaut came across an abandoned space station while exploring around the galaxy and found an industrial factory inside that was still working away after thousands of years.
“The Passenger II” has a similar feel but is slightly more intense and chaotic as if the machinery is starting to hit a breaking point and going to explode. I imagine all kinds of flashing colorful lights and chaos while I’m listening to this and it all sounds absolutely brilliant.
Next up is “Circle rivers 1” which also moves in a similar direction as the previous two tracks but makes use of some higher pitched frequencies and underlying nuances that play off of the always evolving pattern that Fergus is able to create. It’s a very meditative piece and around the thirteen minute mark I swear I hear voices buried in the mix but I know it’s probably a ghost frequency effect from the layers of beautiful noise.
The final track “Circle rivers II” starts out very lulling and graceful before adding in more abrasive elements that eventually reach a gorgeous peak of uplifting and colorful tones.
Overall “The Passenger” is an amazing record that takes you on an inspiring journey. It’s certainly an experience taking it all in and a record that I’ll keep going back to regularly. I also recommend Fergus other recent release “Glimmering Light Fades From View”.
