P.D. Wilder

"f/m" CD

Gears of Sand

Genre: drone, experimental

Texas, USA

June 13, 2009

Seeing as I really enjoyed Hotel Hotel's debut album, it only made sense I'd be into the solo effort of their guitarist, P.D. Wilder. f/m is much more abstract than The Sad Sea was, but that only cements its position as a powerful atmospheric drone release.

Despite there being thirteen tracks contained within, this album can best be conceptualized as a single movement. Although these compositions are divided by silence, they cannot be divorced from one another - the full power of this release comes from it being experienced in full.

On f/m, Wilder employs long, expansive guitar drones that act as effective mood-setters. The dissonance of "Bismark," for example, conjures up vague notions of mystery and disarray. The nearly thirty minute "Blizzard/Undefined" issues a haunting, reverberating drone and complements it with the sound of static waves crashing against a shore - it's like the soundtrack to a long and eerie late-night beach scene from a lost film noir. Mining the depths of this release reveals that every track belongs here, and while patience is required to truly let f/m sink in, your time will be well-spent dimming the lights, lying down, and letting this record absorb you. By the time the subtly nuanced hum of "Now/Year" winds down, you'll be mesmerized and maybe a little bewildered.

p.d. wilder's myspace

84%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 13 tracks, distributed by the artist, released 2009]