In Ferneaux, the latest LP from Benjamin John Power as Blanck Mass, begins in the middle of nowhere. An ambient loop bounces along, unintelligible vocal samples begin to creep in, and before you know it, soft yet heavily present arpeggiated synths steal the stereo image. In what is essentially a collection of field recordings set to a collection of beautiful ambient and drone passages, In Ferneaux operates unpredictably. This is in part due to the lack of track titles (the LP is split into two pieces averaging 20 minutes each –– “Phase I” and “Phase II”) but also because Blanck Mass has developed somewhat of a reputation for being able to create a listening experience that works to pull its listeners out of their comfort zones. So, when the drums and overdrive kick in nearly four and a half minutes into “Phase I,” and then just straight up bail a minute later, it can leave you wondering why they even came in at all. But in a way, that’s the beauty of In Ferneaux: It’s both shrouded in mystery and also just really enjoyable.
The most riveting moment on the LP starts at around the 12 minute mark of “Phase I.” After a fairly lengthy drone passage, little bits of harp begin to enter the mix and then echo in a reversed form. When it eventually becomes clear that this a new section of the phase, time practically stops and what can only be described as pure bliss in audio form is achieved. A plethora of synths begin contributing to the atmosphere but then slowly die away, only to be replaced by harsher textures and birdlike noises. A field recording takes center stage as we wave goodbye to what once was.
Similarly to the opening of the album, “Phase II” also seemingly begins smack dab in the middle of something. This time, that something is harsh noise, and it happens for nearly 50 seconds before leading into another field recording. This one is the most prominent on the record, as it features a person speaking about “bitch-ass misery,” sobriety, and the rewards that come with being charitable. It comes off very early Godspeed You! Black Emperor in its presentation, but it’s extremely memorable –– even if its origin and why Power chose to include it here remains unknown.
The last two minutes of In Ferneaux features a pretty synthetic piano melody and strings. A strange field recording starts to overlap –– at first, this one kinda sounds like a toilet flushing, but as it goes on, it becomes clear that something else is going on here –– and the last thing we hear is a voice that may or may not be Power’s saying “…is that one picking up sound from that fucking truck.” Was this a question or was this said mid-statement? One can only imagine.