Sometimes an album sideswipes you from out of the blue. This is just one such album.
To provide a byte-sized idea of what ‘Not I, But A Friend’ is like is difficult, as it’s a multi-layered affair, but imagine if you will the idea of sailing on echoing clouds whilst the whispers of ghosts caress your ears. That’s a good start. Wormstorm, being one of the original pioneers of new electronica on the Cape Town scene for some years alongside Felix Laband, Waddy Jones (now known as Ninja, of Die Antwoord) and Sibot of Playdoe fame, draws on his significant background in electronica to produce an album which sits astride traditional and new musical forms. Strings wail alongside subtle glitch. Production levels are immaculate, with the result being tangibly textured samples that are woven through gently lamenting synths. It’s like the sound of silk, it’s all deeply engrossing, and it’s gorgeous when heard through headphones. This is a hauntingly beautiful album which shows his progression in composition and creative expansion in musical terms; an album which is immediately evocative of memory, even on the first listen.
You can download the album free from his website www.wormstorm.tv