| William Marshall, the brain behind Octavius, first appeared back in 2001 with a first EP, Descent & Dissention and the critically acclaimed Electric Third Rail mini album recorded with 4AM Jason Patrick Chavez, followed shortly after by the Modern Chairs/Speed Limit single. These releases revealed the dark side of underground hip-hop, and helped Marshall establish his work on San Francisco ever more challenging underground scene. It was only a matter of time before this young talent was given the chance to develop his musical themes over the full-length of an album. From the opening seconds of "Monochrome," it is obvious that Octavius is dealing some dirty atmospheres on this first album. The colour is noir, of the purest kind. Released on Mush, Audio Noir establishes a bridge between the left-field hip-hop scene and the more arid side of the electronic realm. Octavius mixes heavy comatose hip-hop beats that make Massive Attack sound like a happy troop, electronics, live recordings and processed samples into a maelstrom of sounds and ambiences. Yet, by cautiously placing precious melodies in the heart of his soundscapes, Octavius creates with this album a disturbingly chilling cinematic piece of work. Kicking off with the stunning "Monochrome", Marshall sets the tone as he introduces a rich and oppressive soundscape built around heavy strings and dense eruptions of gloomy electric guitars supported by one of the drowsiest beat pattern heard this side of the Millennium. In the second half of the track, Marshall's processed voice, drowned in shards of feedback, emerges faintly in the background. If "Surprisingly Concerned With One Another" appears slightly more approachable, the following two tracks reinforce the feeling of discomfort as more trashed guitar sample are pushed in the foreground. Marshall's voice, in turn scream or murmur appears to melt over this sonic inferno and becomes texture. "Speed Limit" is comparatively more subdued, yet Marshall's vocal performance remains as raw. Although the tension appears to drop from time to time, as on "Sudden and Increasingly Strange Behaviour', the sombre mood still lingers in the background, threatening to re-surface at any moment, keeping the emotional impact of this record intact to the very end. With this extremely strong and impressive first proper album, Octavius is pushing the boundaries of dark hip-hop further into inhospitable territories. Challenging and unsettling, Audio Noir is also strangely fascinating and, before all, extremely promising. Watch out, Octavius has landed, and he means business. - The Milk Factory |
2XLP/Out Of Print