Before turning his attention to music-making, Michael Hann, the man behind Rejections, primarily operated within the domain of the written word, penning works of poetry and fiction that had what you might call a certain abrasive quality. While Rejections is a purely instrumental vehicle, there are definite parallels between his wordy and wordless output. Whiteout it may be, but it’s dark stuff.
This three-tracker may be far from beat-orientated, with only the final track, ‘Longpig Hunt’ featuring any discernible rhythms, but it’s far too heavy, loud and intense to qualify as ambient. Hums, drones, echoes, and blasts of noise, both from the upper and lower reaches of the frequency spectrum, assail the listener’s senses, often simultaneously. The three tracks, all of which sit around the seven to eight minute mark, segue together to form one extended soundscape that’s claustrophobic and unsettling. At times, I’m reminded of the time I was stranded on the Fells of the Lake Distract in whiteout conditions, but I’m equally reminded of the grainy textures that grace of of Merzbow’s recordings, and have no hesitation in recommending Rejections to fans of texture-driven electronica that’s far from easy on the ear.
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Rejections Online
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