Noise/Dark Ambient: 1-800-Babylon

Noise/Dark Ambient: 1-800-Babylon - Lily. (2023)

75 / 100

A more atmospheric and structured noise release that flirts with dark ambient horror, a clear step up from the debut.

We’re back with the private noise project, 1-800-Babylon, this time with the album Lily., released just two days after their debut EP.

The album cover shows a shovel and what looks like a mound of earth, which I assume references the theme of death. The word “lily” itself reminds me of the lily of the valley flower, notably featured in Akiyoshi Rikako’s mystery novel Girls in the Dark.

The eleven-track structure also gives off a conceptual impression, with three tracks titled “Memory #1” through “Memory #3”, and the noticeable dark ambient influences. Of course, this is just my own assumption because there’s no official statement about it.

The echoing and grainy noise textures create a kind of field recording storm effect across most of the tracks. The clearest example of this is in the shortest track, an interlude called “Redacted [Intermission]”. Within these “storms,” there are scraping and screaming sounds, which add a dark and intimidating atmosphere.

There’s also a mysterious vibe through human-like sample sounds on “Psychosis Delirium”, and actual inserted samples appear in the title track, “Lily.”. This title track is the only one that adds dark piano and percussive hits, making it stand out. Meanwhile, “Deep Beneath the Firs” is probably the lightest noise track, though it still carries haunting streaks halfway through.

Overall, 1-800-Babylon shows a noticeable improvement over the previous release, with a non-monotonous, darker, and horror-like atmosphere. Naturally, this album comes highly recommended for fans of drone/dark ambient and noise, especially listeners of Merzbow, Rojinski, or artists under Cryo Chamber and Neotantra.

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