Cassette Review: Jelena Glazova / Marta SmiLga split (Liminal Noise)

Once upon a time, Liminal Noise sent me a split cassette between Bird People and Waterflower, which I really enjoyed.    Now we have another split cassette between Jelena Glazova and Maeta SmiLga.     I am not familiar with either of these artists but something tells me that I should be.   Ah yes, my love of split cassettes continues-- a taste of each artist, somewhere between a track on a compilation and a full length.

Jelena Glazova is a name I don't recognize but when I try to look this cassette up on Bandcamp by putting that name in, an extensive body of work comes up that I wish to explore regardless of how this piece sounds because it feels like within it all there will be something worth listening to.   This starts off loud.   Alien noise drone is a good way to describe this and I'm immediately on board with it.    There is somewhat of static and then a deeper bass synth.    Whooshes meet the fades in and then the fades out.   It's windy but also I just enjoy how you can so easily get lost in this entire piece.   First I was a bit scared by it (And it may or may not have had to do with a video I watch about time travel, but that's neither here nor there) but as it went on I became more at ease.

A slow, quiet beeping begins the Marta SmiLga side.    This turns into beeping loops which have a rather eerie, sci-fi type of feel to them.    It's strange because the sound is electronics but it isn't really electronic music in terms of the genre-- maybe because it's missing a background beat?    Through looping these create a rhythm and sound which make traditional synth and even guitar notes feel like a thing of the past.     There is a robot language to it in a certain aspect as well.    As the beeping fades in and out an ominous piano type of deep drone also enters the picture.

At the end of this cassette I realize that both Jelena Glazova and Marta SmiLga have created music worth listening to on its own-- I'd suggest getting this cassette just to listen to one side of it, but both sides are equally spectacular.   Furthermore though, each side should be experienced as a gateway drug, if you will, to open up your mind to an entirely new world of music by both of these artists, something which I am currently diving into head first.


€6 // Edition of 50 // https://liminalnoiserecords.bandcamp.com/album/ln013-jelena-glazova-marta-smilga