ACTING WITHIN YOUR TERMS

Review from Norman™s records by Ant Staff. This four track EP from Jan Grebenstein sounds custom build for Downwards current bleak direction. Opening with the apocalyptic strings and martial drums of ˜Acting Within Your Terms™ which immediately transports me into a foggy underworld where there™s an unnerving stench of threat in the air. There™s a bit of a soundtrack feel that conjures images of an ancient army preparing for war. ˜No You Don™t™ continues with slow and menacing tribal drums and the eerie atmospherics spiralling deeper into endless bleakness. The drums on ˜Principles of Trust™ clank away with a very similar palette to the previous two tracks, the sense of lingering paranoia increased slightly. However at this point I™m struck by how similar these tracks sound, almost like each is a variation on the same theme, yet this gives a continuity to the EP which works best digested as a whole. Closer ˜That's Where the Answer Was, in Your Body™ is menacing downtempo industrial techno draped in a black cloak. The drums ceasing mid-way for a droning breakdown and reappearing with increased menace.