Hverheij's latest record is, predictably, for a guy whose skills have always been in ascendancy, a fun and enjoyable, and at times surprisingly spooky listening experience. It vibrates and lurks and beeps and bops in all the right frequencies to make one go: 'Ooooh this is very good'.
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INTERVIEW
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George Ernst (Triplicate Records): What do you think about the current geopolitical landscape of.. Nahh I'm kidding, how've you been doing man?
Harry Verheijen (Hverheij): Pretty good. I just transitioned all of my music workspace to a larger room in the basem*nt about a month ago because I was getting cramped in the room I had been in for the last 10 years. It doesn’t mean the music is any better but at least I can stretch out once in a while between hacks, I mean tracks. I’m 6’4” so I really need my stretch room.
GE: What's the worst movie you've seen in your life?
HV: It goes back a few years but hands down for me its got to be Howard The Duck. Couldn’t get a handle on that one. What was George Lucas thinking?
GE: You've got a really nice selection of tunes here, I really enjoyed the alternating ambient and techno-heavy sequencing. Was that intentional?
HV: Cheers! Short answer, yes. I was being moody :))
GE: What's your opinion on crabs? I think we've been letting them get away with their bullsh*t for too long but I don't want to influence your answer too much.
HV: It’s a tricky and sensitive situation, man. What with the Crab Relations Advocates Bureau (C.R.A.B.), the Legislative Extremists Governance Section (L.E.G.S.), and the Social And Legal Association Divisions (S.A.L.A.D.) breathing down our backs, it’s all a lot of food for thought; but I’d have to plead the 5th to the whole affair. That’s about the only way we can claw out of the whole mess, I’m afraid.
GE: What is 'Nevermore'? Is that an Edgar Allan Poe reference?
HV: Probably the closest state to answering if there is light in Gilead, and, yes, a very loose reference to Poe. Only a certain member of genus Corvus would know for sure. Fortunately, I didn’t get all cheesy and put in any strange quotations. If I had, George Lucas would probably have wondered, what was Hverheij thinking?
GE: Did you go into this with the intent of cultivating a darker sound than before or did it just sort of happen?
HV: The darker sound was formed from the loose Poe influences running in the back of my mind and evolved as I worked through these tracks. The album transitions forward into what I also intend for the next project, which continues building those darker sounds on the next level. Although each is standalone, it’s a rare time when I have intentionally built sound themes to grow from one project to the next. Visions From Nevermore, though, is the foundation.
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REVIEW
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It can be rather rare to find an artist who releases music with such consistency and frequency as Hverheij. Many who try tend to spread themselves rather thin, and you start to think, 'Well this is good but wouldn't it be better if several of these were condensed together to create an all-killer no-filler LP?
That's simply not a concern with Hverheij because the guy is incapable of making anything that isn't brilliant, a bop or a banger. It will then, surprise no one to learn that he's done it again. 'Visions from Nevermore' is a classy collection of engagingly ethereal compositions that delight as often as they intrigue.
'In the Outland' kicks things off with a respectable air of mystique, conjuring misty wetlands and purple herons. Oh you didn't get purple herons from this? You're weird. Anyway. A warbling set of key strokes and disembodied voices herald the coming of a new and enhanced sound, complete with Oval-esque percussion and fun little fills.
If 'Outland' was a great way to start, 'Abandoned' is a great (and surprising) way to go on! There's a legitimately spooky ambience that permeates the opening, as Hverheij reminds us he's a master of setting a mood. This is like a particularly frightening part of a Silent Hill Game on the Playstation 2, especially half way through when the groove gets into full swing.
'Flutter Magic' takes less time to get into the aforementioned swing of things, instead opting to build on the darker atmosphere cultivated on the previous track, and injecting some rather enjoyable glitch tropes into the proceedings, whereas 'Limited Features' opts for a looser and more chaotic vibe, until the second half bleeds into our reality and treats us to some extremely unhinged sporadic funk excursions.
A shorter piece, 'Openings' steams in with a train beat, and is soon joined by unsettling horn blasts and a insect electronica minutiae, though it's not without the occasional shiny beam of aural light, and makes for a nice little mid-album checkpoint. 'Lost Light' on the other hand, while equally confident-sounding, has a edgier beat, complimented beautifully with heavily reverberated techno keys and blankets of oppressive grinding noise. It's a fully realised and attention grabbing piece that completes the mid-album centrepiece combo of itself and 'Openings'.
The lengthy 'Midnight Clear, Unclear', does not in fact feel particularly lengthy. Much like any other Hverheij song, I always wish it were longer, which is not a criticism, but rather a positive reflection of the power these superb little pieces have over my brain. Drumless and mysterious, arguably the most pure-ambient track on the record, 'MCU' has the feel of a lost soul, pawing at the night with longing eyes.
As if to counteract the lack of drums on 'MCU', as the album starts to wind down, 'After All' winds up the tension and dare I say the funk with tricky trap percussion and a nasty (the good kind of nasty) synthesizer motif that sets up a more kaleidoscopic second half, wherein the colours become extra saturated and the track well and truly comes to life, which brings us to 'Presence'. This is a clear highlight on an album of far too many highlights to choose from. Giving us the best of both worlds, Hverheij's ambient chops, and a ponderous but impactful beat whose merits speak for themselves. Sequence break and listen to this tune right now!
Finally, we have 'Yellow Dog', which zips out the starting gate like... well... a dog. I don't think greyhounds come in yellow but what a blistering closer! I've always been a big fan of records that you think are gonna go all sleepy at the end, then BANG, nope, ENERGIZE!! That's the crux of Hverheijian compositions. They'll keep you guessing with their wide-eyed experimentation, and ensure you have a damn fine time listening to the results.
