Drift "Earthquake" 2xCD [CH-397]

Remastered reissue alongside the other Drift cassettes originally on Slaughter Productions. Mastered by Grant Richardson. A5 Digipak. Co-released with Total Black.

"On Earthquake, the third and final cassette released on Slaughter Productions, Drift takes on a slightly different angle to the previous two cassettes. Where as The Beyond and Exile were firmly planted in pitch black ambient territory, the desolation on Earthquake is Saharan. Bright, sirocco, and sun scorched. Afterall, who said Dark Ambient needs to be cold?

In a sense, the listener is transported to an abandoned archeological dig while faint middle eastern tones waver in and out of the surface. One can imagine the dust storms, bustling outdoor marketplaces, the burning of the library of Alexandria, endless pyramid labyrinths, the sounds of flies and vultures over the oasis.

Sonically, Earthquake stands somewhere between its two predecessors. Perhaps not as suffocating as Exile, nor is it as spacious as The Beyond. However the Drift hallmarks are all here. The delayed textures, long reverb trails, and sound sources of unknown origin. What does make Earthquake stand out from the two albums is the epic nature of the album.

Although The Beyond saw Drift incorporating lengthy compositions, Earthquake takes them to gargantuan proportions, with tracks as long as 30 and 40 minutes. It's in these elongated sequences where Giuliani truly expands on his ideas, allowing him to change several directions in the narrative of the track.

Earthquake concludes the projects cooperation with Slaughter Productions and Drift would continue forward with a discography taking on new and different guises. The listener new to Drift is encouraged to continue seeking and to find there is much to discover in this enigmatic project."

- Jim Mroz (Lussuria)