FAST TINES is an intricate and fascinating album for anyone who loves the sonic side of music more than its typical musical structures. Randomness plays a fundamental role in the work of Feral Agathist, and it is perhaps the quality that makes this such a great album.
It is composed of two clearly distinct parts. The first is Good Tines, where metallic sounds, bells, and the excellent improvisation of a saxophone take center stage throughout the entire piece. As the track progresses, the sonic chaos gradually increases, with more and more textures emerging. I found it quite hypnotic. I wanted to keep listening just to find out what would appear in the next moment. The ending is perhaps the perfect preparation for the following track, venturing into the darkness of non melody.
The second track, Bad Tines, is much darker in nature and much more rooted in the noise tradition. Its variety of sounds and layered textures make it a very engaging piece that keeps you on edge at all times. Here, the manipulation of tapes and field recordings becomes much more apparent, blending randomly with raw synthesizer sounds and metallic impacts.
This album is perhaps a very good entry point into noise, real noise, without beats, without rhythms, without a structure for your foot to follow. That said, I say this as someone who regularly listens to the genre, so it is still possible that it will not be an easy listen for someone who has never ventured into this territory. What I am sure of is that harsh sounds are not the focus here. It is a recording with plenty of space and room to breathe, which makes it excellent for someone experiencing this kind of music for the first time.
I really like albums that explore a kind of polarity, a yin and yang, or, to use the analogy of tapes or vinyl records, a clearly defined Side A and Side B. Despite the significant difference in length between the two tracks, it feels as if each one were a different side of a cassette. In fact, I am surprised it has not been released on cassette (Correction, I've confirmed with the artist that he made a very small run of tapes, but outside of Bandcamp), especially considering that the cover artwork itself features one. I recently listened to the first tape by INCAPACITANTS, released in 1981, which is basically made up of two tracks, one on each side of the cassette, and both clearly distinct. This album gives me exactly the same feeling.
In conclusion, FAST TINES is a great album. I enjoyed it immensely. As I have already mentioned, it may not be for everyone, but I believe that everyone who loves music should give noise a chance at least once in their lives, and this is a great place to start. I am very happy that this turned out to be my first review of an album of this kind. I absolutely loved it. Thank you, Feral Agathist.