The latest album from Ralf Wehowsky is unsurprisingly a bit of a challenging listen, but even more so than I would have expected. Fading Pictures is not a particularly dense or noisy recording, but the more extreme elements, even in the frequently sparse context of the compositions here, give it a distinct feel even within his diverse and complex body of work, rife with tension that works perfectly.
One of the most pronounced facets of Fading Pictures is Wehowsky’s frequent use of higher frequencies, especially in the context of shrill, feedback like passages that feature throughout. Not sustained, but rising and falling in multiple pieces, linking them together. Right from the opening moments of "Ertäumets Intro, Vorzeitig Abgebrochen" this is apparent: high pitched layers paired with bassy crumbles and other sonic apparitions of sound that float through. Towards the end he mixes in some bizarre, almost laughing type noises to make things all the more unsettling.
The tinnitus-like passages appear throughout multiple pieces. From the painful, glitchy tones of "Vorzimmern #1," and the dense blend of elongated string-like sounds that further fill out the dense mix of "Absurdes Bekannetes #3," it can be an especially rough listen on a pair of headphones.
The frequencies might be a unifying theme on Fading Pictures, but by no means does it permeate every piece here. "Absurdes Bekanntes #1" has Wehowsky opting for a more open mix, with a lower rumble and scraped string-like sounds generating a cinematic tension. The swarming, buzzing noises and pseudo-screams that appear makes this even more jarring.
On other pieces, Wehowsky leans into texture over tone. Knocking sounds and a low volume gurgle offset the delicate chimes of "Schein-Kristall #1," with the contrast being extremely effective. For "Vorzimmern #2," he builds from a subtle crackle into a wall of wobbling tones and then back again. Expansive tones are blended with buzzing interference and ending on an almost rhythmic structure.
With the concluding "Offenes Ende, Vorzeitig Abgebrochen," Wehowsky seems to take everything that the album contained and throws it all together into one dense, but not impenetrable composition. Drawn out, intense tones and scraping, bubbling textures blend together in high tension and drama, making for the perfect climax that encapsulates this album perfectly.
Compared to his other most recent release on Black Rose Recordings, Satanic Inventions, Fading Pictures is a bit more daunting from the onset. While that album featured more midrange sounds and recontextualized musical elements, Wehowsky opts for a more forceful approach here. Extreme frequencies and jarring interruptions are more prevalent here, but it is no less of an engaging album. Creepy and unsettling, yes, but also rich and nuanced in its disconcerting and discordant nature.
