Bedless Bones is the solo project of Kadri Sammel, when she isn’t busy as a member of Estonian avantgarde deathbeat/outdustrial band Forgotten Sunrise and the singer of up-and-coming UK/Estonian dystopian industrial band Deathsomnia, or operating as DJ Dirt Vessel.
Bedless Bones very much belongs in the electro / industrial subsection of the goth catalogue, and ‘Mire of Mercury’ packs in tight 11 darkly atmospheric songs with some pumping beats.
While my own listening preferences are very much more in the trad goth vein, and I will never really fathom cybergoth, it’s eternally fascinating to observe the way in which disparate acts from the late 70s and early 80s who got lumped together more by virtue of their fan base than any sonic or stylistic similarities spawned a genre which would splinter in so many different directions. There are now almost as many subgenres of goth as metal, although as is often the case, the more niche factions are so clandestine only those in the know know.
‘Mire of Mercury’ is, fundamentally, an electronic album. Whether you classify it as darkwave or techno or dark electropop or EDM, or something else entirely, its constituent elements are as they are.
The first track, ‘Dead Woman’ draws together elements of The Cure circa 17 Seconds with the alienated edge of X-Mal Deutschland, but done with synths, and it may be contentious to point out that somehow the vibe comes down to a more ethereal take on the vibe of ‘Missing’ by Everything But the Girl.
Things get harder and more overtly techno on ‘Litha’, and the pounding techno beats set the sturdy foundations for what follows, on bold beats and expansive sweeping layers of synth.
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‘Uncomfortable’ is smooth and expansive, and infused with elements of 90s new age / enigma music, and reminiscent in parts of ‘The Sun Rising’ by The Beloved. ‘Thunder’ is slower, darker, more brooding, and overtly ‘gothic’, and following a sequence of sameness which dominates the album’s second half, ‘Tongue and Rhythm’ brings bold, tribal beats and epic bombast.
While working very closely within certain stylistic parameters, ‘Mire of Mercury’ does have a substantial range in terms of tempo and atmosphere – and the atmosphere is heavy and laid on in spades. For my money, the less overtly dance-orientated tracks are the more interesting ones, but overall, it’s an album that’s dynamic and textured and ultimately makes for a compelling listen.
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