The deeper you dig into this project from People In The Walls, the more relevant and connected to the content its very title seems to be. What Noise Do They Make is an album that bursts into life with the chaotic and colourful My Hammer, an instrumental track with a retro, industrial set-up, and which varies immensely throughout from the loud and energetic to the far more blissful and uplifting. The latter half sees the energy and pace rise in a brilliant way – intensity grows, there’s a slight meeting between the organic and electronic worlds. The whole thing surrounds and swallows you as it fills the room.
Whatever expectations or presumptions you may make as the first track pours through, the follow-up Mushroom King redirects the journey distinctly. It takes the scenic route through creativity and expression, holding close to its own story-line – the intricacies of which are left to the mind of the listener. The title guides you somewhat, the soundscape darkens and intensifies at certain points too and gives the whole thing a sense of movement and depth. Instrumentally the layers feel familiar, there’s a clear thread from one composition to the next, but apart from this simple and essential trait the playlist makes for something that is as meandering and free as it is immersive and interesting.
The further you get into the project, the more you understand and – to some extent – rightfully connect with or expect the unexpectedness and style of the journey. From the bass-heavy tones of Carnival Of Chaos – with its gradually growing ambiance – through the part dreamlike and part 80’s inspired The Midnight Slasher, the music makes sense in this setting, and at the same time it never fails to intrigue and conjure up slightly haunting ideas or possible underling themes. You feel very central within the carnival as it plays out around you, you wonder who these characters are, what these stories mean, which elements of history or sci-fi or both came into play during creation. The latter of these two tracks grows to be manic and heavy, enjoyably so – a definite highlight – not unlike hard-house or synth-driven, industrial EDM; escapism working to relieve you of your personal stresses.
Tentacle Bells takes a slightly Caribbean sound and fuses it with a retro-house beat and a dash of darkness. There are riffs to connect with, it feels accessible and memorable. The Girl Who Died Twice follows and is as creative as ever, and far less melancholic than the title perhaps implies. If you appreciate the raw energy and skill that goes into music production, as well as the nostalgic tones of a simpler time, and if the thrill or pull of a completely unpredictable, creatively free playlist is exactly what you’re looking for – perhaps as the antidote to the all-too similar sounding mainstream releases of late – this album has you covered.
Skeleton Dance has a sci-fi feel to it and a dark undertone, though the music feels fairly gentle and thoughtful. There’s a brilliantly light, tribal beat running in the backdrop. Starship follows and re-energizes you in the way that classic EDM would. Paranoid Martian after this offers something incredibly interesting and notably easy to vibe to. There is no such simplicity as a verse-chorus-verse-chorus set-up on this album. Expect stories, expanding scenes of emotional and artistic turmoil, and absolute, unwavering creativity.
Towards the end of the album, Demon Robot In Space sounds just as you’d hope yet nothing like you’d expect. There’s a careful balance achieved between the distorted intense and the light and hopeful. This evolves to be a personal favourite. The rhythm and the contrast between elements creates a wall of entrancing audio that washes over you. Amazed By Nothing follows and draws from those past hints of the tribal and the distorted alike. The pace picks up and falls away intermittently. The threads remain, and with them come dashes of gentle, dreamlike notes and hints of possibility.
Catching Gnomes is a mildly medieval feeling piece that seems like an important or even crucial scene as the end of the journey approaches. Electric Composition has a sense of satisfying resolve and makes for an easy-to-repeat piece of ambiance with an effective, progressive rhythm. The final moments come in the form of Den Osnusade Snusen – another absolute highlight – a beautiful and complex, distinctly spacious yet delicately detailed soundscape that feels like a brush of colour and calmness among its peers. A gorgeous way to finish and a lasting reminder of the eclecticism and creative expression that led to the making of this album. People In The Walls has a mighty and quickly recognisable sound right now.
