Cemetery Road by WILT

A double CD celebrating Wilt's tenth anniversary, "Cemetery Road / Dead Electroniks" contains a new full length album by these veterans and central figures of the American's dark experimental scene and a homage CD, in which eleven remixers (from well known acts to newcomers) pay their tribute to the depth and innovation that paved Wilt's way so far. From a deep and touching combination of drones and acoustic sounds to a noisy and demanding new take at the past, Wilt's new opus is both a foundation stone and a beautiful festive statue.

In 2001, a young act called Wilt sent a demo to the then even younger Ad Noiseam label, a deep and gritty album of sonic experimentations and long drones. This recording evolved to become "Amidst A Spacious Fabric", bearing the catalog number adn3 and being the first "real" pressed CD on the label. Eight years and after three more albums on the label later, Wilt is celebrating its tenth year of activity, something which Ad Noiseam obviously couldn't pass on (all the less considering that Wilt is the act with the most full lengths on the label).

A long affair, this tenth anniversary package starts with a new CD album, "Cemetery Road", and then leaves the stage to eleven remixers paying homage to Wilt (the second CD, "Dead Electroniks"). Coming with a beautiful, frozen in time artwork, the whole thing shows the past and the present of Wilt, allows to take a wild guess at the future, and underlines how essential this act has become.

With "Cemetery Road", James Keeler and Dan Hall (the second member of Wilt since 2006's "Dark Meadows") lay a very low-key, carefully planned album mixing intensive experimentations with melodic acoustic instrumentations and the menacing drones which have been a trademark of Wilt since its inception. Rumbling noise, though still present, has been relegated as a foundation for the monument, making of this first CD the most aesthetically accessible Wilt release so far, and something which not only active-listening drone fans can enjoy, but intelligent (post) rock fans as well.

Clouds of a noisy past are brought back for "Dead Electroniks". Between Wilt's preface and epilogue, eleven remixers have come up with new versions of material released in the ten prolific years of the band. Some are high-profile for this scene (such as Navicon Torture Technologies' Theologian new moniker, the always underrated Veil Of Secrecy or Venezuela's veteran Cornucopia), some are label mates (Larvae and Horchata), and some are newcomers, excited at the prospect of remixed a band that has risen as one of the forenames of America's dark experimental sound. Things get then gritter, heavier, more electronic and definitely more noisy, but also feature a diversity that shows both the variety of Wilt's material and the one to be found in the noise scene. Yes, it's distorted and harsh. But give it another listen, and you'll slowly realize you're not always drowning in the same dark waters.

Ad Noiseam congratulates Wilt for ten years of intense, dedicated and innovative music, and hopes that the release of this double CD will allow fans and newcomers to enjoy this act's music. Looking forward to the next ten years. - Ad Noiseam

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CR/DE Review from Deaf Sparrow Zine (from 2010)
When it comes to ambient, it's nice to have a thick, meaty release. Something you can sink your teeth into for hours to savor the rare blood flavor dripping down your throat. Wilt is a band that's been in the scene for about 10 years or so. They have a tendency of putting together dense, atmospheric guitar and keyboard work with a variety of effects that loom in the background, the usual. But, they do it in an unusually good way. In celebration of their ten plus years of creating the best music for our worst funerals, Wilt put out Cemetery Road/Dead Electroniks, a two-disc set that features a new album and a set of remixes of older material from various colleagues.

Cemetery Road pretty much sums up everything you're going to get out of it. This does in fact provide the perfect backdrop for a walk in a cemetery. Seriously, I tried it. Songs like 'Escape', for example, feature eerie, plucked-with-raven-feathers guitars, droning wind-like sweeps keeping a strange form of continuity, and occasional wisps of ghostly moans. This stuff has some beautifully rendered keyboards. Often quite minimal, but minimal in a carefully-structured way. This stuff drones, this stuff even provides shocking; real, dark, authentic music. Cemetery Road sets itself up with 'Red Bird, Black Sky', a fitting little number that sets up an image of standing at a funeral on a cloudy day, before it ends and you leave to wander the rest of the graves. As you meander around, you're lead from eerie keyboard movements to two-note, repetitive mantras, slowly trudging until you finish it off with 'To an End', walking away under a light rain, thinking about the timelessness of the earth and the lameness of life. That's the kind of thinking this sort of album forces upon you.

Dead Electroniks fills out the set rather nicely, but it probably wasn't necessary. As stated, it's a set of remixes of older Wilt songs. Some of the bands are veterans, and you also have a newer acts that have been playing around a little while, like Climax Denial. Really, if you didn't know this was a set of remixes, you'd probably think it was Wilt simply dishing out another set. They all tend to follow the same format as Cemetery Road, so there's no need to go into any great detail. If ambient is your thing, you'll pretty much be satiated by the end of the first CD, but in case you want to burst at the seams, then by all means listen to the second. It's welcome to see something you can come back to later, something that takes some time to get a feel for, but it might be a bit much for casual ambient fans. The first CD was totally enough. Locrian pretty much manages to fuck up their track, but hey, it's Locrian. Sadly, it is admittedly better than anything original they've done.

Anyway, you can't deny it, Cemetery Road/Dead Electroniks is a hungry man's feast. This is probably enough ambient/drone to chew on for an entire decade. It's a pleasant, well depressingly pleasant, meditative listen, and the inclusion of generally defined remix tracks provides fans with a ton of additional material to savor. If you've followed Wilt for the past ten years, well, it's more like the remixes will mean something to you. For the price alone you can't beat it, but don't even take a step towards it if this sort of music isn't your thing, because it's guaranteed you're going to be overwhelmed.

Written by Arkus
Link here: http://www.deafsparrow.com/wilt-review-2011.html

Earthen Textures x Depression Ambient x Scarecrow Electronics

Wilt extol the invisible corners of a thirsty earth with an exaltation of decay and reclamation. Best described as Noise Ambient, Wilt is an aural quagmire of dusky vapors and ivy draped relics, grating erosions and the thorny shadows that rise and fall across dying landscapes. - Scott Candey {Crionic Mind}

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