Telegraphs in Negative: Mouths Trapped in Static by Alien8 Recording

wonderful - what else can you say or could you want to say, they are very distinctive in the approach to the music they play, i think each track has been made with whats next and whats just been - in mind, it does flow - the rich textures of the music will win you over - theres not a duff track on this Cd, just buy it for the reason of 'wanting to own something wonderful'you wont be sorry you brought this at all

...and even I must be in the right mood: focused, acute but still willing to let my mind drift and daydream. This music is pretty much like the first SFTF album, but a bit more fragmented, having "concrete music" bits here and there. There are some truly spooky moments – I used "Prelight Isolate" at my kid's halloween party to create a truly creepy mood – but also beautiful tracks.

Set fire to flames succeed again with their second album in delivering a soundtrack for the urban sprawl and the lost hopes and lurking shadows that permeate it.This album moves further away from the song structures of the first album, more soundtrack orientated, more emphasis on creating the vision they have, rather than the usual chorus, verse routine. Many tracks clock in between 7 and 12 minutes, this is a 2cd album in fact, allowing Set Fire to Flames to achieve their musical intentions. Sighing cello's, moving sonics, sampled hosue noises, momentary speech, slow guitar picking. All combining excellently to transport oneself to a land of empty buildings, crumbling walls, fading sunsets and haunting sounds.

I bought this after the first album, which I must firstly comment on. 'Sings Reign Rebuilder' took me a while to understand and love, and I consider that an easier record to listen to than this.At first, I thought that this was a mere rehash of the first, and genuinely painful listening. I was inclined to agree with the reviewer who said that there was very little 'music' on the cds.It is a cd that rewards your patience. You may not enjoy it the first time you listen to it, but the beauty of Set Fire to Flames is almost paradoxical: its almost like the songs are waiting to reveal themselves to you.I guess its a case of how much you *want* to like it. It doesn't present itself to you, it isn't accessable and it's much harder work than the first record.As the 4 stars indicate, I really like this album.

This work hangs together like a series of aural sculptures, varying degrees of detail and weight but all thoughtful, intriguing and emotive. I think the art and music happens between the abstract and the arbitrary - so perhaps it's successfully post-post-modern? If this all sounds a bit pretentious, it's not meant to be - I listen to it while I commute, and what could be more prosaic than that?

I purchased "Telegraphs in Negative" and "Sings Reign" together.Being from the 'post-rock' genre and having members from GYBE, I had very little fear that this would be a bad purchase. And I was right.As I describe in my review of "Sings Reign", it's haunting, calming and inspiring... and to be perfectly honest I would probably rate these albums higher than most Godspeed albums (as well as Mogwai, ASMZ, etc) This record I don't like QUITE as much as "Sings Reign", but only by a narrow margin. This is a double disc album, providing 90 minutes of nightmarish dreamscapes... it is even MORE experimental than "Sings Reign" (the addition of more random human scuffling about) and you can almost sense how much more the band members are strung out or intoxicated or whatever. (If you read a blurb about these records, it is stated that they isolated themselves in remote locations with very little contact with the outside world and would stay awake for long periods of time)In any case, I find both of Fire to Flames' records to be amazing bodies of work. Granted it is not the type of music for everyone. But whether listening to it intensely or just playing in the background... I think it will have a lasting effect on you.A great addition for any ambient/experimental/post-rock collection.

This is my review lifted from RateYourMusic:"It's not about melodies.You have to approach this album with a different frame of mind. You can't have any expectations (that one might conceive from knowing the members' other work) if this is your first listen to SFTF. Just sit back, and take it all in.This is about appreciating sound. Appreciating just simply the timbre of the different instruments...the resonance of the notes and miscellaneous objects that come into play. It's about recognizing patterns & techniques, and trying to grasp what idea the band is trying bring across, or what emotion (or lack of emotion) they're trying to portray.Yes, there are a few moments in the album which are quite beautifully constructed and have melodies which are easier to follow, but they only make up a small percentage of the album (which is why I think the overall intention of the band was to provide you with a set of experiences). So while most of the material is simpler...either repetitiveor just spaced/thinly abstract, that doesn't mean it's just background music or even noise (at points). This album is most certainly not flat, it's quite atmospheric (I know, a cliche term). If you're in the right mood, this album can very much-so affect you. On my 2nd or 3rd listen, I wasn't depressed or anything, but I was like empty-headed - there wasn't anything on my mind. I had this blaring pretty loud, it was dim, and there were a few moments where I just closed my eyes and felt like I was in a completely different environment.The recording method/production really make this album what it is. You get a very natural vibe from it, and it doesn't seem to have any forced texture or anything.I don't believe that they wrote this album to have a musical concept - sure, it has a fairly consistent dark and desolate feel, but the only concept I get from it is simply how you should consider and appreciate this album."