Collapse

Chronique

Collapse is the solo debut by Drew McDowall, a veteran of the post-punk and industrial scenes who became best known for his work with Psychic TV in the '80s and Coil in the '90s. He moved to New York City in 2000 and became a fixture of the city's experimental music scene, particularly the modular synthesizer community. Collapse focuses on dark, suspenseful pieces that slowly build, occasionally burying some haunted voices in the whirl. The three-part "The Chimeric Mesh Withdraws" takes up the entire first side of the LP, ominously unfolding and touching on various lost, sorrowful states. "Hypnotic Congress" has a slow, pounding industrial rhythm, and seems to simultaneously rush out and pull back toward the end. The brief, unnerving "Convulse" surrounds a voice repeating "I convulsed" with shuddering echo while a violin screeches in the background. Other moments on the album are more calm and peaceful, while still containing an air of eeriness. The album never taps into the madness that helped make Coil's best work so vital and life-affirming, but then again, it's not a Coil album and shouldn't be held up to that lofty standard. Collapse is a rich, impressive work of foreboding atmospheres.
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