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Psychedelic Rock, Experimental: 32 Partials - In Degradation (Part I + II) (2017)

76 / 100
A dual-EP venture that expands 32 Partials’ sonic universe, In Degradation showcases both their desert-tinged psych rock and a bold leap into experimental ambient/noise.
The journey of 32 Partials continues with a descent into desert territory in In Degradation (Part I), accompanied by an experimental/noise backsound presented separately in In Degradation (Part II). Both were created during the summer and released together at the end of August 2017. Each EP contains three tracks, so I figured it would be more efficient to summarize them in one review instead of two.

What’s presented first is a Middle Eastern–styled rock performance using bouzouki and flanged guitar without distorted accompaniment, making it less clearly aligned with desert/stoner rock. The same goes for the two psychedelic rock tracks that follow—they don’t feature synths as strongly as the previous release, but overall they highlight the bass and the deep wails of the guitar, which feel more engaging and pleasing to the ears compared to the self-titled EP.

The next course is typical experimental/noise ambient. 32 Partials blends synth, clean guitar, and accordion on “Basis,” and this combination manages to create a distinctly ambient atmosphere from the middle to the end. “Holding Pattern” delivers a drone built from delayed guitar distortion with a long squeal around the four-minute mark, yet it still maintains the same mood. “Envelop” is actually the opening track of the second EP, but I didn’t feel like rearranging the order of the short review I wrote some time ago—I just copy-pasted it, so this is how it ends up, in reverse order. This track focuses on corrosive noise with ambient textures formed by screaming guitar sounds and tape loops.

I won’t pick a favorite here, but the second or third track feels the most promising in the second part. Together, these two EPs continue to show the production quality, skill, and consistency of 32 Partials in the realm of psychedelic rock, even though Part II marks a shift in their musical style. Unfortunately, the next recording isn’t available on Bandcamp, so I’ll have to skip it. For anyone curious, you can head over to SoundCloud.

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