![BANG [ d.o.t.//MOLLUSK: Act I. ] cover art](https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2690121233_2.jpg)
BANG [ d.o.t.//MOLLUSK: Act I. ] is a nostalgic, melencholy, aquatic ambient album, at times excellent for both active listening and background ambience, albeit inconsistently.
The album starts bold with a dynamic dark metallic soundscape, saturated with a murky nostalgic ambience reminiscent of early 2000s computer software. Beyond the first track, the music mostly finds itself resting somewhere melancholic and underwater. Some tracks are more rhythmically oriented, with sparse lopsided lofi drumming, while others rest more on textures and ambient drones.
As the album went on, I found myself increasingly lost in thought. For some, this is an indication of functional ambient music. In the same way functional EDM might come off as monotonous off the dance floor, this album can come off monotonous at times to a listener without alternative engagement.
Track 4, Choral Castaway Collision, brought my attention back with the sounds of distant thunder, occasional choir, and a haunting drone. While the other three tracks all felt to me like their runtime outlived their ideas, I found this track along with the first track very musically compelling.
There's one technical nitpick I feel obligated to talk about. The space between each track is exceptionally long. In the grand scheme of things this is a minor issue, but does take me out of it when I need to check why the next song hasn't started during the nearly half a minute gap in playback.
It's worth noting, as I'm now writing this review, I've opted to listen through the album a second time. I'm enjoying tracks 2, 3, and 5 quite a lot as background music. Now, the tracks I praised just a moment ago for their musical interest come off as a bit distracting.
For some this is going to be the perfect ambient blend, alternating between pulling you in during periods with engaging textures and musical development, and giving you space for reflection. Personally, I wish the album was a bit more consistent in this regard, leaning into either direction more thoroughly, but the consistency didn't stop me from enjoying this album all the way through.
I will certainly be returning to this album.