The MOnster gate experiments - The Bunker Tapes

The Monster Gate Experiments

The Bunker Tapes
self-released; 2013

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogan

Ok I will admit that I didn’t listen to this whole album all the way through in one sitting. The Bunker Tapes by The Monster Gate Experiments is eleven tracks of which six go past the 20 minute mark. The most obvious comparison is William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops which often takes one reoccurring loop and repeats it as small variations are introduced. Even the most hardcore fans of ambient will be intimidated by the total running time of these songs. In order for me to enjoy these songs I felt my headspace needed to be in a different place. I needed a calm sense of tranquility to wash over me as I listened. Being present in the moment and accepting the sounds for what they were was the ticket for me. If you are a fan of Basinski you should be attracted to this music and know when you are going to use it.  A lot of the sounds just evolve and devolve over time. Like a Tibetan chant or mantra these songs create a space in which a sustained emotion can evolve.

Going through each one of the songs is unnecessary as each one sounds similar and is a variation on the same theme. The artist may in fact feel the same way by the fact the each song is untitled. One thing that is worth mentioning however is that the album was recorded in one day in an unheated WWII bunker near Bergen, Netherlands. these songs have a darker, almost ominous feel to them and I have to wonder how much recording in a WWII bunker had as an effect on the outcome. Proceed with caution these songs (take that word lightly) are not something you want to play at your next dinner party unless of course your guests are all smoking DMT and want to visit the seventh level of hell.

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