Customer Reviews

Winter in Belly of a Snake

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

taking the freewheeling rhythms and virtuosity of Squarepusher, tossing in doses of Aphex Twin and the kitchen sink, and you've got Aaron Funk, aka Venetian Snares. Familiarities aside, VS certainly has cut a big hole for himself in current music that sounds like nothing else. After breaking out just a couple of years ago and since dropping 5 full length albums, he's the one of the brightest young artists (and most vital) in 10 years. This is his best. VS cuts, slaps, clicks, buzzes, and crashes his way through melody and rhythm like literally NONE before him. Its often a bit overwhelming, but in a truly satisfying and inspiring manner. Drill n bass and glitch cut across a barren, generally bassless landscape with actual vocals and classical and disorientingly modern melodies sitting atop the maelstrom. Hands down the best track here is "Cashew". A track like this can hold up to anything AFX can put up. After 5 albums, this guy is getting better and better. AFX and Squarepusher have a new peer. Now, lets get that new KID606 album out.

Although some of his other albums have their quiet moments, most of what I've heard from Venetian Snares so far is in your face aggression. So I was surprised when I first started listening to Winter In The Belly Of A Snake. Those expecting tracks like Hand Thrown or Make Ronnie Rocket will be disappointed - while they're a far cry from drum and bass they're a lot closer to it than anything here. If you want something like Find Candace or Making Orange Things you'll probably be disappointed as well. Winter In The Belly Of A Snake is a more subdued, abstract affair.

The synth sounds seem to ape 70s progressive rock more than they do 90s electronic. The drum patterns sound more like odd noises and sound effects at times rather than more convential drum sounds, even when compared with other Venetian Snares albums. Often we are treated some avant-garde-esque piano or violin sounds, something his heavier albums didn't have time for.

Winter In The Belly Of A Snake is, of all I've heard by Venetian Snares, a harder album to listen to yet its very enjoyable as a consequence. I do need to be in the right mood to listen to it (whereas I could listen to Find Candace or Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits just about any time), but I often find that that's the beauty of this sort of music - the way it plays with your imagination and opens itself to you over time. If you don't live for the abstract and subdued then Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits or Chocolate Wheelchair Album are better bets, but if you like weirder, quieter music that isn't afraid to flirt with avant-garde, then this album is one well worth looking at.

Frenetic, freakish rhythms in the same vein as Squarepusher, Autechre and Aphex Twin. Intricate enough to just listen to, but with enough energy that you can't help bobbing your head along with it. Occasionally gets more abstract and detached than I like, but still very well done.

"Winter In the Belly of a Snake" gets 4 stars only because it has "suffocate" on it. The rest of the album is so-so and would warrant a three. This cd is worth the price of admission simply for "Suffocate", which, if it could be approximated by stars, would get about 212.

The album on the whole is very quiet and clicky, panned all over the freakin place, and of course crazy ass time signatures as you would come to expect. I thought the first five tracks were solid, then he kinda runs out of things to do or something. Very well programmed, just not very musical imho. That said, "Suffocate" is probably the most beautiful song I have ever heard and it haunts me constantly. "Tattoo" and "Dad" are very good songs too. Also "January" just for the expert placement of Garrison Keillor sample ;)
There are a couple vocals on here, "Dad" and "Tattoo" use both very well. Venetian Snares is the techno you play for your punk/metal/hardcore friends who think they are so cool because they listen to hard music. If they aren't into vsnares, they haven't heard hard music, and once they hear it from you they will be like OMG... how...?!

Funk was undeniably continuing to pursue his particular deep, dark hole of hardcore Drill'n'bass noise-sculpting with conviction. It's not a sound unfamiliar to anyone invested even casually into the sinister sub-genre, but while other acts easily gave in to less challenging, more predictable pursuits, VS remained at the forefront of fluidity.

Winter is one of Funk's 'softer' albums, yet still maintains that eerie feel that helps maintain gripping awe throughout. Not as mentally perplexing as the unparalleled 'Huge Chrome Cylinder Box Unfolding' (hardly anything is), but still a terrific LP nonetheless. The intro song 'Dad' has haunting vocals and tells a pretty self-explanatory meaning of the song. From here onwards there is a pretty relaxed feel to the LP. It all binds pretty well, then you get to 'January' which has some decent vocals that go well. The song 'In Quod' easily the finer moment of the LP and quite possibly one of his top 10 songs ever (opinions, opinions). The LP slowly drifts on from here calmly.

To conclude, an awesome LP to own, but maybe not as a starter.

Venetian Snares is often compared to Squarepusher. Sure, both artists apply the same frentic chopped up breakbeat technique which superficially sounds quite alike. But where Squarepusher still manages to make it all swing and give it a very musical twist, Venetian Snare's beats often sound either stiff or just very chaotic without much musical interest. For me this often leads to some weariness after a a few tracks: it all just sounds too much alike. Of course, Venetian Snare's style *is* breakcore and not drum & bass, but it would be pleasant if he showed some sense of adventure and would venture into other styles more.

Still, this is not bad music by far. It is excellently produced and contains some interesting feats of sonic layering. So who knows: Venetian Snares might be onto something really groundbreaking in the future. Not just yet, though.

IT IS THE KING OF BREAKCORE'S NEWEST RELEASE. STOP THINKING AND BUY IT. NOW, RIGHT NOW, OR HIS CATS WILL EAT YOU!
P.S.
IF IT HADNT BEEN FOR MY HORSE, I WOULDNT HAVE SPENT THAT YEAR IN COLLEGE.

venetian snares is absolutely incredible, aaron funk is the most original musician snice cEvin Key, i think its a joke when people describe him as drum and bass, or compare him to autechre or squarepusher, what a joke. venetian snares is its own genre, and he is so far ahead of any of the people he is compared to, when there is no comparision, his music doesnt even sound like someone is making it, it just sounds like it is happening. he is a genius, i think you either love his music so much you can't stand it, or you dont like it at all. i dream about his music, i can hardly sleep at night b/c i get so excited about his music, im being serious, i love it, i cannot get enough, luckily he is so talented that he has released like 12 Cds in only 5 years. his music has changed my life, i especially like this album and i am a huge fan of his noisier stuff, like horse and goat. his music is one of a kind, there are really no loops, but somehow it just fits and all the sounds fit together in a very organic manner.