Silk Saw is a duo from Brussels, consisting of Marc Medea and Gabriel Severin. They have been active for a long time now and released several albums under the Silk Saw guise. Most of them on the Ant-zen label, which probably needs no further introduction. There music is hard to describe as it is so many things while still maintaining its own unique style. A blend of IDM, industrial and ambient smothered in darkness could give you an idea of what to expect. But expectation is a word that doesn’t feel at home within the abstract musical world of “8 Reports”, which is so carefully crafted and laid out by the two Belgians.  

Following up last years very fine “Empty rooms” album “8 Reports” continues the journey down the dense and sinister path to a place where rules and laws are useless as far as music is concerned. “8 Reports” consist of eight tracks (what a coincidence) all filled with beats, broken rhythms, textures and the most unusual sounds all mixed and melted to become their own stories. A better way to described them is as compositions in which every element is skillfully constructed and placed for a reason. This is the part in which Silk Saw excels and rises above so many others. With two feet on the ground and my mind in perfectly clear condition (as far as that still applies) I’m going to state the following: “this album lives!”   It is breathing, thinking and speaking to you in a way that almost becomes scary several times. Give it your full attention and you will start to feel like you are in some gloomy organic place where music is constructed by a living environment full of weird and indefinable things.

“8 Reports” is however not an easy album and not it’s not cut out for everyone, although the tracks can also be enjoyed while playing them on the background when your occupied in some other business. If you want the full experience in the way I described above you have to put a little effort in it. Sit down, grab a beer (or some other random drink), clear your mind, put on the album and focus yourself on the sound. Preferably, let this all take place in a dark environment to enhance the impact. Within a few minutes your mind will not be in that place anymore.