The Missing Ensemble, Zeropolis (Low Impedence Recordings)

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This is the second release by this multi-national, digitally-linked ensemble of sound manipulators, each of whom has numerous other projects going on to greater or lesser acclaim - John Sellekaers is a member of Dead Hollywood Stars, Daniel De Los Santos also appears with Tamarin and Mathias Delplanque is a respected solo soundscaper who also incongrously releases crucial dub plates as Lena.

I find Zeropolis to be more lopsided than its first album, "Hidden Doors" - more angular, more non-narrative (as distinct from "less narrative", mind you), more defiantly unclassifiable. The trio seem intent upon defying convention, whatever shape it might take. Even the penultimate track "Zero-Sum" (perhaps the title is an ironic caution), seeming to be heading for some kind of textbook crescendo/release, breaks off suddenly and dissatisfyingly. Most likely according to The Missing Ensemble´s evil design to confound any and all expectations.

It is hard to love, but easy to admire. It is very committed anti-music, an odd alchemical experiment, not necessarily always successful but a bold one, combining drone, looped and glitched electronics, isolationist ambience, and a kind of atonal post-rock. It is quite dark music, downright chilling at times. But whereas "Hidden Doors" was often spacious (if unlit), Zeropolis is cramped, close, and confining.

As on their debut, guest musicians are utilized, here two guitarists and returnee Ernst Karel, whose trumpet is put through some particularly excruciating strangulations. Though it does escape torture long enough to add some very distinctive beauty to the closing coda, "Attaining Pt. 2".

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