Ophir (USA)

I've been trawling the depths of BandCamp just lately, and there are some real gems to be found, such as this act that I discovered the other day: Ophir. At first I was intrigued, then I was hooked, as I delved into the challenging but rewarding music produced by this mysterious band. There are 3 releases here, all available to download at whatever price you wish (including free if you wish).

The music of Ophir could best be described as post-Black Metal ambience; long droning ritualistic dirges constructed with layers of guitar lines drenched in reverb and excessive distortion, sounding like cascades of golden poisonous honey burning into your ears...Whilst all of the tracks on offer here follow a general formula, once your mind locks into the artistic world they offer, variation and detail start to emerge from the apparent cacophony. Some the tracks are achingly beautiful, others chaotically dissonant. The 1st release "Nutmeg" is by far the most challenging, seeming more random and atonal than the others. The 2nd and 3rd releases, "Cebu" and "Spikenard" respectively, both offer relatively more "listenable" tracks, though still challenging to the casual listener.

I can find no further information about the band/project, but I will be keeping an eye out for future releases.

Ophir -- "Nutmeg" (2012)

1. Cassia

2. Nutmeg

Ophir -- "Cebu" (2012)

1. Cardamom

2. Cebu

Ophir -- "Spikenard" (2012)

1. Opal

2. Spikenard

All the above can be downloaded from Ophir's BandCamp page:

http://ophir666.bandcamp.com/

Nàda (SWZ) -- "KomAmoK" EP

New Nàda! And it has evaded my radar for almost a year! Close followers of this blog will know that I have always held Swiss tribal industrialists Nàda in great esteem; their debut album "Celmètra" was one of my first posts, and their 2nd album "Ùr" has become one of my favourite albums ever. When I posted Remo Seeland's post-Nàda project Hollow Bone, I assumed Nàda had been laid to rest forever. However, they released this new 10" EP late last year, and it is available for free download from their SoundCloud page.

These 2 tracks are certainly very interesting; "KomA" is a fairly restrained sombre piece, featuring textural sounds with occasional bursts of power. "AmoK" is more immediate and primal, evoking tribal sludge kings Neurosis at their finest.

I have no idea if this is the final burst of life from Nàda, or if there is more to come... here's hoping.

Nàda "KomAmoK" EP (2011)

1. KomA
2. AmoK

free download from:
http://soundcloud.com/nada-is-dead/