Taciturne (Review)

Taciturne - 6 Fragmente In Der Chronologie Des Wahnsinns

Taciturne is one of the most sought after of the early underground hardcore producers. not a small feat when one takes into account that he only released 3 and a half records (or rather, two halfs - there is also a split EP he did under a different name) during his active period. Yet he fully deserves this appreciation.
"6 Fragmente In Der Chronologie Des Wahnsinns" means "six fragments in the chronology of madness" in english.
it is probably a reference to a well known independent movie, "Sechs Fragmente in der Chronologie des Zufalls".

A1 - Mourning

there are six tracks on this record so start with the first, "Mourning".
the name is rightly chosen. it starts with quiet, calm, choral chanting, a bit gregorian, but not "epic" gregorian, something soft and slow. then the beat comes in, sounds like a distorted 909. the speed is slow, but with a lot of offbeat kicks lined in the rhythm. after a while a breakdown comes, and we hear the sound of a heartbeat speeding up. in fact this creeped me out one night, when i was listening to it half asleep and wondered why my heart suddenly seemed to sound so strange, before i realised it was in the track.
this is actually all elements the track has, yet this is enough. the track is wonderful and great, the concept is just brilliant and well worked out. hardcore enthusiasts might label it as "doomcore" and it could be used in such a set, but it is also much more than that.

A2 - Dexpanthenol

if you're an experimental hardcore fan, go for this one. abrasive sounds, broken rhythms and hard beats.
to be honest, for me less interesting than the other tracks on this record, yet still hugely better than most productions

A3 - Boys Don't Cry (Revisited)

this track stands out with it's ironic sense of humor. it's a remix of Boys Don't Cry by everyone's favorite postpunkwavegothic band, The Cure. this was when a time when remixes of "pop" tracks where not common in the scene outside the "happy hardcore" world. i remember taciturne once did a chart for the french TNT magazine (one of the most spread hardcore zines back then) which had only synthpop and new wave songs in it, so i think he honestly likes The Cure. the track is a lot of fun either way, should put a smile on everyones face. what i especially like is the complete intentional trash/lofi way this track is produced, the sample often somehow muddles up as if token from a bad tape, and seems somewhat offrhythm most of the time. lovely.
"we're pleased to welcome Robert Smith from The Cure".

B1 - Phenylephrin-Hydrochlorid

from the fun of the end of the A-side to something very serious again. maybe this could be called nightmare techno? a very slow beat, a drone throughout the track, and one of the most creative uses of the mentasm sound i've ever heard. in the middle of the track it speeds up and becomes somewhat more of a hardcore affair.
brilliance. play this when it rains outside.

B2 - Haematopan F

anthem. the track starts with a slow, but very hard pounding, industrial distorted kickdrum. then more metal and noise sounds are added, and a female voice declares "hardcore" (where did he take this from?).
but it doesnt end at this, in the middle of the track choral sounds come in and add a very soothing touch to this track.
it's hard to find words for how good this track is. it just has such a big impact, while being cold and chill.

B3 - Phenprocoumon

the last track and this is my favorite track of this record. a bit similiar to A2 again, we have lot's of unstraight rhythms and distortion. but what makes this track so stunning is the melody that comes in now and then. it sounds almost japanese or chinese, very soft, very still. this antagonism between this melody and the abrasiveness of the rest is amazing.

so there are six complety great tracks on this record, that stand out from a lot of other music.
a masterpiece. top notch. magnificient.