“Vigils are held by the western wall.“
Creating longevity and relevancy in one’s field is an art unto itself. One can see some acts draw out the years beyond their means, while others can be a burst of air that quickly evaporates. Yet in the case of Perturbator (aka James Kent) those two arts have been perfected. Over a decade plus career, Perturbator has rarely strayed from excellency, whether in their earlier synthwave sound or their now recent work touching on various electronic influences. Emerging from the that synthwave era of the early ’10s where Hotlime Miami put a direct spotlight on the project. The subsequent string of full-length releases – I Am The Night, Dangerous Days and The Uncanny Valley – still stand as the strongest run of work in the wider electronic genre for the past decade.
While taking a stylistic diversion in recent years with the likes of New Model and Lustful Sacraments, Perturbator has maintained their penchant for world building and harnessing an atmosphere. They’ve toured the dystopian cities of The Uncanny Valley, the apocalyptic world of Dangerous Days, and the dungeons of Lustful Sacraments. The latter saw Perturbator draw on more industrial, post-punk and electronic stylings of the likes of Nine Inch Nails. It showcased Kent‘s ability to craft together outstanding albums, even outside the confines of the synthwave genre. And now with their latest album, Age Of Aquarius, they truly begin to show a legacy being built.
The open stretch of Age Of Aquarius is a bold one, accompanied by Norwegian weird metal unit Ulver. Kristoffer Rygg’s vocals ring through the track with their strong timbre, matched by Perturbator‘s synths that tower through the track like a mechanical titan. The lyrics of “The war to end all wars” and “Apocalypse Now” lay out the themes Kent is set to engage on Age Of Aquarius; societal decay, war and individualism. A booming “Lunacy“, packed with all the hallmarks of a Perturbator tracks, bridges the record between its two early features, taking the record into “Venus” which features fellow industrial artist Author & Punisher. It’s another direct vocal feature that does not appear to feature the machines they’re known for crafting. Contrasting itself between lamenting vocals and raging yells, it chips away at internal conflict whilst Perturbator’s synth’s swirl around the vocals. It’s as if Author & Punisher‘s vocals are trapped in the whirlpool of Kent’s sound. “The Glass Suitcase” delivers another booming, brutalist track. Together with the aforementioned “Lunacy“, it’s a stretch that you might imagine booming out over a Berlin nightclub, with tangible swagger to match.
On the somewhat fittingly titled “Hangover Square” Perturbator leans into their ambient sid, to deliver the comedown from the explosive overture. Feeling very “Blade Runner Blues“-esque at times, the analogue synths drone through the track and build out an expansive landscape. It’s a lonely track, perhaps yearning for something beyond itself. It’s straight back to beatdown with “The Art Of War” and “12 House“, two menacing tracks with bass-filled beats, much more on the more combative side of Perturbator‘s sound. The former has a more harrowing, almost haunted side to it, as the synths have the mannerisms of bouncing off and moving between cold concrete surfaces.
One welcome return to Age Of Aquarius is that of Greta Link, who had features on “Desire” and “Venger” on previous albums, the former being a personal favourite. The Brooklyn artist delivers her haunting vocals once again to inject a Perturbator track with a captivating atmosphere on “Lady Moon“. It’s as if Link is reading the rites to all the ills that have been reflected on before. If even that isn’t the case, “Lady Moon” is magnificent. There won’t be many tracks this year that sound as huge, and as the track begins to break away from itself, Link‘s vocals further show their haunted nature. This further showcases why Kent and Link are well-matched collaborators.
The closing chapter in Age Of Aquarius begins with “The Swimming Pool“, an evocative name as the glistening synths seem to shimmer on lofty tiled walls. It should not go unnoticed how wonderfully Perturbator can move between these towering sounds and then slide into such gentle moments with grace. The organ-style synths that dance through the track act as a light show for the mind as the piano chords contemplate between each press. With one last dance on “Mors Ultima Ratio“, it is on title track “Age Of Aquarius” where the record pulls back the veneer the most. Its beat that has a sinister march to it, contrasting the atmospheric guitar chords and chants from Neige of Alcest. His screams are deployed in the final ninety seconds of the record with unforgiving yells at the despair. It does top off what are four intriguing features across Age Of Aquarius, each used in their own inventive way.
As ever, Perturbator has looked to tell a narrative on Age Of Aquarius. There is no doubt this was perhaps the hardest one to craft of all concepts, capturing a world that seems intent on caving in on itself. While Kent has done a remarkable job at this, it does seem to lack certain standout moments that previous records have had in the likes of “Excess” and “She Is Young, She Is Beautiful, She Is Next“. Although there is a sense that might just be the point – there is no key turning point to Age Of Aquarius, by design – it’s a record that exists to be seen simply as a whole body of work. Either way, James Kent has put together another excellent record that should now see him as one of the greats of the genre.
8/10
Age Of Aquarius is out October 10th via Nuclear Blast, and can be pre-ordered here.