Dylan Carslon’s career couldn’t be much less obvious in its path. ‘Earth 2’ effectively set the blueprint for all subsequent drone bands, a pivotal release the influence of which is hard to overestimate. Drug addiction and incarceration laid Carlson low for a number of years, but just when it looked like he was likely to become a footnote in rock history for being the guy who purchased the gun Kurt Cobain would subsequently shoot himself with, Earth resurfaced, rejuvenated and venturing bravely into uncharted territory – something they’ve continued to do ever since. Earth’s productivity in the new millennium has been little short of remarkable, and the fact Carslon has also found the time to record and self-release his first solo album (released under the moniker DRCARLSONALBION) is impressive.
‘Gold’ was penned as the soundtrack to Thomas Arslan’s western of the same name, with dialogue in German, and which tells the story of German pioneers traversing the Canadian west. Although comprising 24 individual tracks, each piece is (very) short and segues into the next to form a continuous, single work.
Although the music doesn’t convey anything of the film’s narrative when taken purely in the context of an audio work, it does present something of Carlson’s on evolving narrative, in that it’s a very organic instrumental work that draws heavily on elements of old folk music, the rich guitar tones building around repetitive motifs and warm transistor amp sounds that border on ambient.
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There’s nothing here but Carlson’s guitar: compositionally, it’s as sparing as it gets. Long sustains, amp hum. Drones and string scrapes aren’t only integral to the sound but also see Carlson make the closest to a return to his older work, while continuing to explore the territories of more recent Earth releases. The guitar playing is fluid, yet at the same time thoughtful, ponderous, the emphasis on the atmosphere over the shape and form.
Even without the film’s visuals, ‘Gold’ stands up on its own as an intriguing and evocative musical work.
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