CUT WORMS: Lumbar Fist     CD    Opa Loka Records

This is the debut album from Richard Van Kruysdijk’s Cut Worms project; primarily a drone act that utilises live generated and processed sounds, before sculpting them electronically.

It’s of no surprise that given the medium, you are in for the long haul to gain any worth and understanding of the music as a whole; and as opener ‘Tangent Folio’ rises from the speakers, it’s glassy pads and rich undercurrent of bass resonance hook your attention with relative ease.

With key attention paid to reverb, ‘Lumbar Fist’ shows acute spatial awareness; and a knack for applying just enough chamber echoes to hold the listener in place, without clipping the comfort levels.

Cinematic and atmospheric; Cut Worms manages the sound sources in an effective manner, that many people who flirt with field recordings fail to grasp.  First and foremost, the project realises the essential ingredient is actual music and not just a wash of random noises.

Overall, this is an effective and wonderfully produced debut from an artist I shall firmly keep tabs on.

9/10