Cassette Review // Kristina Warren "Tusk" (Gold Bolus Recordings)

 https://goldbolus.com/tusk/

https://kmwarren.bandcamp.com/album/tusk

Sounds like breathing or maybe the soft sea catching the shore come in and then notes like a recorder join.   This goes full car horn sound and the waves crash stronger as well.  The way that there are these crashes in a rhythm, a banging sound, can feel like someone is working as part of a machine; an engine.   This turns into the sound of a saxohpone coming in now, and some higher pitched tones still.  The two compliment each other while that steam powered engine continues along.

This sound has a way where it can feel like it's continuously moving, but at the same time the low hum can be droning and you get that occasional spark of static crackling in as well.  If such a thing exists, this is like a steam-powered musical locomotive.  It has somewhat traditional instruments involved at times, but still manages to create an entirely new sound when they come together with these other less traditional sounds.  

As it quiets and comes back, I feel we are into a new song perhaps.  A slight ringing behind all of this, notes come through like an accordion.   Bass notes drop down and then, as that ringing has faded, echoing tones come through and this all sounds very electronic now, as Droids might communicate.   I often wonder if robots do eventually take over and they hear this music, will it please them or make them angry?  I hope it pleases them because I enjoy it.  But then again, I am not a robot as far as you know.

The feeling of the accordion very much can make it feel like this is dancing music, but the way it can almost glitch as patterns repeat as well just display that contrast between the organic music you can hear and the electronic side of things.  I once had a CD get stuck in a CD player and start skipping which made a similar noise that I'm hearing in here.  At the same time, these electronics can come through rather loudly and chaotic, to sort of feel like a space wars is going on.   That all comes to an end with the first side.  

Quieter notes bring us into start the flip side and it can feel like a flute, yet somehow also makes me think of nature.  Different tones are coming through in waves and drones now.  This creates a sound which can feel rather peaceful, but also hypnotic.  While there is an almost crackling type of sound going on that I can't quite make out in the background, a lot of these tones coming through make me think of a funeral in the forest for some reason.  I imagine all these little woodland creatures gathered around, mourning the loss of one of their own.  

Everything quiets down and then a solo tone comes through.  I'm not sure if this is the same song or not, but it feels like we're getting sadder now somehow.   These tones are really coming through now, with a force that feels so powerful.  Sticking with that idea of this being funeral music, this feels somewhat like when someone plays "Taps" except it's not the same notes and it has a bit of a space vibe to it overall as well.

The way that this sound is both sharp and loud, at times it can even begin to feel like we're going into that modem sound, though I feel like this is more of an organic sound with woodwind instruments.   It would be interesting to hear though, an orchestra or something along those lines, try and create that dialup modem sound.    At times, this sound itself can feel like it's getting close enough to that sharp side where it can hurt your ears.   This is definitely on a frequency that dogs will not enjoy.  

Though there can feel like a rhythm of notes is in here, this sound mostly consists of the loud and often times abrasive tones which make me think of a dialtone at the least brash point and an alarm at the loudest.  This is an interesting contrast to the first side as well, as these notes are the entire sound and can grow to be so sharp by the end that it will leave a lasting impression on your ears.