Cassette Review: EMEI "EMEI" (Aphelion Editions)

£5 //
Edition of 45 //
https://aphelioneditions.bandcamp.com/album/emei //
🎧 //

I believe it was when I read the autobiography of Johnny Rotten that he said the record label EMI stood for "every mistake imaginable".    Even though there is that extra "e" in here, I like to think of what this could stand for in a sense and not have it feel so depressing because, you know, major labels.    "Every Mile Every Inch" is one of my best ideas.  "Every Me Equals I".   I'm just putting together words now.  "Everybody Move Everybody In".   Who has the best one?

Whirrs go back and forth to begin this cassette.   It gets windy in here too, like the manipulation is being manipulated.    Sonic lasers come in like some kind of spaceship landing.    The next track comes up much more quietly and makes me imagine someone landing on the moon or just a different planet for some reason.   There is a great space feel to it.   The frequencies make me think we are in space for many different reasons and one of them is "Mars Attacks".

Mechanical drums usher a drone into the next song.   It begins to build as if a slow guitar strumming.   This also starts to take on a John Carpenter feel so I have to think of "The Thing".    This takes us into these hollow, eerie sort of squeals and it could very well be in space as the ohms breathe in and out in succession.   Glass like tones come through the static void now.  I believe we have arrived on another planet and the aliens have found and captured us.   This certainly could be the end.

Quieter static with those alien frequency whirrs begin Side B.    It's music aliens might have even created and listen to themselves, but it is also rather trippy.   I enjoy listening to this at night with all the lights off and earbuds in.   Sometimes it can be a bit scary and I like that rush.   Who doesn't though, right?  Show you're alive!   Though now it feels more like we're drifting lifeless through space, which is a lot more fun than it sounds.    As it fades into nothing the return sound is one of the Flight of the Bumblebee.   Some static crashes can be heard through here as well.  It has a definite minimal sense to it though.    It quietly waves in and out.  

Things pick up into this drone type of hue and I can actually feel it glowing.   Waves slice through the atmosphere as if to speak.    It feels so relaxing.   Like a pulse.  These whirrs can come in somewhat sharp, but they are mostly non-threatening to my state of rest.   You could put this one on, drive and just wake up at some point and wonder where you are.   Scratches of some kind come through with the wavy drone.    Lasers come zapping through with the hollow glass tones.   Beeping like sonar also makes an appearance.

While this cassette can take you on many different adventures, most of that is up to you.  Will you listen to this before you go to sleep?  How about while you drive?  While you walk?  While you work?  The different surroundings you place yourself in should lead to this forming different stories for you.   It kind of makes me want to call this "Every Mind Every Imagination".