Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Eavesdrop Cosmic - Hit/Closed Eyes Open/The Ecstasy of Agony

5/30/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Eavesdrop Cosmic

​Hit/Closed Eyes Open/The Ecstasy of Agony
self-released; 2018

4.3 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Matt Jensen

Brannon Hungness is a musician, composer, filmmaker, author and artist currently residing in Western New York. He started his experimental rock project, Eavesdrop Cosmic, in 2016 but has a very rich history with notable legends.

He grew up in North Dakota where he first got interested in music and recording but it wasn’t till he moved to New York in 1994 where he got involved with a number of exceptional musicians. Glenn Branca, Elliott Sharp, Virgil Moorefield and many others were his musical peers. His most recent project is called Eavesdrop Cosmic and he released three albums which are accompanied by books and even a feature film. The trilogy consists of The Ecstasy of Agony/Hit/Closed Eyes Open.

There is simply too much music to cover in this critique but I can say all of it exists on the fringe. It’s what most people would call experimental whether it’s the soundscapes which have some resemblance to artists like Brian Eno and Stars of the Lid, etc. or the more abrasive rock that does have resemblance to a band like Swans. That's really just the beginning. There is so much territory that is covered. On that note I loved these albums and Hungness takes on a number of what you could consider disparate genres and does them justice.

I started with the album Hit which you could say is a little more experimental rock based and avant garde. “Zip Out of Your Skin and Feed Me” is the opener that is heavy, intense and epic.  The almost ten-minute song starts off intriguing with distorted guitar and drums and just gets more interesting as it progresses. Hungness plays with dissonance before landing on a verse and then finding an ascending riff that plows through the rock of earth before finding a post-rock-esque outro.

The lounge-y and possibly free jazz inspired song “Because It Rhymes” contains alien-like synths before rocking out and then petering out in an exceptional way. As the album continues the songs are all epic in length and content.

The album Closed Eyes Open starts off in a very different way. “Closed Eyes” is an immersive ambient soundscape and a highlight. It does what I enjoy most about soundscapes and hits upon ambiguous emotions. Nothing feels clear and you can simultaneously feel emotions like fear, apprehension and even joy. There is a cosmic, alien like quality to the song that felt undeniable.

The album however does not stay in the ambient domain. Instruments like guitar, bass and percussion are introduced on songs like “Focus on the Focus,” “Save Them” and “Vibratory Angel.” “Enter Centered” is an eerie, dissonant piece that is haunting and would work well in a horror movie.


The Ecstasy of Agony
is the other album and perhaps the most experimental in terms of rock. You can definitely hear why he chose to play with Glenn Branca on a track like “Bark Amused” which sounds like myriad guitars. I’d also say this album in particular had moments that reminded of Swans.

​These trilogy of albums is huge in scope and just as impressive in execution. Don't pass this up. Highly recommended.

official website
bandcamp
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact