I remember why I stopped following Horologium. “Le Paradis Des Chausseurs” not only is another release built with looped classical music and opera samples (not too well done either), but also almost entirely exists of tracks that I already had and I do not own all Horologium’s releases. Nope, not my thing.
Links: Horologium, Twilight Records
I am afraid that I have vastly over-estimated this Polish project. My first encounter was “The Fire Sermon”, a very nice ‘ambient noise’ album with an original sound. After that I bought some of the limited releases which mostly consist of some orchestral music build of classical music samples which sometimes sounds nice, but are mostly just making something of somebody else’s work. Unfortunately the same goes again for “The World…”. This time the sound is a bit more bombastic and here and there martial, but still the music remains a collage of samples and nowhere comes to the level of “The Fire Sermon” and not at all regarding style. Too bad, after a flying start Horologium seems to become just another project in the scene. The album is not horrible, but if you asked me, I would advice to spend your money on something else.
links: Horologium, Neuropa
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I have quite some material of Horologium, but it seems that most of it is nice, but nothing like “The Fire Sermon”. This time we get slow, monotous and at times orchestral ambient with a bombastic track towards the end. The tracks of Horologium and K. Meizter (of whom I never heard that I remember) are put among eachother, but sound well together. Also here other peoples’ (classical) music is used to make something of their own, a comment that I got per email just before I started Gangleri when I mentioned Horologium in an Aghiatrias review. Again I have to say that the result is nice, but nothing too special.
links: Horologium, K. Meizter, Old Europa Café
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There should have been a new Horologium cd by now, two actually, a new one and one with old material. For some reason the cds do not arrive at the distros, so I suppose they are delayed. Then I saw this split cd at a stand at the Coph Nia concert in Arnhem last weekend, so I thought it would be a good item to fill the gap. Unfortunately the Horologium tracks are rather cheap. Foundation Hope makes quite minimalistic ambient (with some orchestral influences) which is alright, but not groundbreaking. Project Winter has a bit of a LOKI-sound and their tracks are the most interesting of this cd. Artefactum makes dark ambient that sometimes touches to noise, their tracks are quite enjoyable. “Pere Lachaise” is not a boring cd, but not a great one either. I remain in wait for the new Horologium material.
Artefactum / Horologium * Sangreal (cdr 2005 old europa café)
Horlogium * Songs For Hunters (mcdr 2006 bunkier productions)
Horologium * Paradise Inverted (mcdr 2007 old europa café)
I got myself some older and newer Horologium material. Where “The Fire Sermon” (2005) is soundscapish industrial/noise of style, this only goes for one of these minis. The other two are more orchestral and bombastic. All cds are packaged magnificently, “Sangrael” in an A5 package with nice ‘holy grail’ artwork and a printed, partially transparant cd, “Songs For Hunters” in a simple, but nice A6 package (3” cd of course) and “Paradise Inverted” in a 7” package, also with a 3” cd. Three times 20 minutes, so the length/price proportion is not too good, when you buy them all at ones, but on the other hand, you get some nice and very limited (200, 100 and 150 copies respectively) releases. “Sangreal” is a cooperation between Polish bands and is the most ambient of the three. The other are orchestral and at times bombastic almost completely built from opera samples and with a flinge of humour; sometimes silly, sometimes great. At other times the sound is nice and dark again. On “Paradise Inverted” you will hear Troy and Maria Southgate (HERR) and one track is made together with Der Arbeiter. You hear it, original music of a pretty high quality not only for people who like experimental ambient/industrial/noise, but also for those who listen to the more bombastic and martial releases. <27/3/07><4>
However this Polish one-man-act has quite a few releases out, “The Fire Sermon” is the first that I hear of him. Too bad! Horologium makes a weird kind of industrial music, weird in the good sense of the word! In the beginning it seems that “The Fire Sermon” is characterised by a mix of clear and distorted (noisy) sounds, from orchestral to ‘oldschool’ industrial. There is more though! Most tracks are relatively tranquil with a nice haunting atmosphere and a high level of experimentation, maybe reminding a bit of a project such as Ginger Leigh. There are samples of choirs, violins, voices, etc. some tracks have an industrial background while other are more overall industrial in sound. All this results in strange tracks with a very original sound and atmosphere. It is all hard to describe, because Horologium is very original and I like that, especially when it is good! People who like the earlier mentioned Ginger Leigh or projects such Cruelty Campaign, Propergol or Cyclotimia are advised to have a listen to Horologium too!