Cassette Review // Ruah "Ruwa" (Strange Mono)

 

https://strangemono.bandcamp.com/album/ruah-ruwa

Ruah starts this cassette with singing and organ tones.  It's big, atmospheric and then fast beats come in.  Throughout this cassette I am reminded of Xiu Xiu and it is one of the most direct comparisons I can make in the best possible way.  The second song has these magical tones with deeper vocals.   There might be some sort of -wave in here, but I'm not sure which one.

Electronic banging takes over.   The rhythm becomes infectious.  The words "Let it burn" put me into a trance.  A smooth bass line now.   This is somewhere between dance and psych where you can just find yourself getting lost in it but how you choose to act based upon that- whether getting up and moving or staying still yet still moving somehow- is up to you.

On the flip side we begin with delicate plucks.  This takes us into electronics which begin to feel industrial.   There is much distortion.  It becomes slow and dooming, like something from "The Crow" soundtrack.   I suppose this sound has always been dark, but it isn't until this side when I really feel like it's unleashing that darkness.

Overall I really feel like this cassette has that quality where it feels like a full sound- a full band- but you can feel as if one person is making the sounds.  It's like how when you first heard Nine Inch Nails you likely thought they were a band before finding out it was just one guy.   But this is also something which requires your full attention, so perhaps not to be listened to while trying to focus on also doing something else.