Album Details

• Artist: 3 Seconds Of Air
• Album: We Are Dust Under The Dying Sun
• Label: Tonefloat
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-03-29

There is no groove, nor many moves beyond the minimal and repetitive; this is pure atmosphere, landscape without foothold, but one that is hypnotic nonetheless. 3 Seconds of Air are old pros at this effortless world-creation, and "we are dust under the dying sun" is the latest tour around a world all their own.

The unique lineup of bass and two guitars (with each member also dabbling in electronic effects) would allow for plenty of power, but Verhoeven, Van Den Berg and Serries choose to agitate rather than rile their instruments. All three songs (each is over fourteen minutes, with the middle track, "In The Dark Ocean Of Agony And Afflicition" over twenty) never rise above a whisper, the loudest tones being ambient reflections of the electronic effects, or certain bowed or echoing tones from the bass or guitars. This is hermetic and meditative to say the least, though the acoustic instruments do add depth to the created colors. Oddly enough, the band goes out of their way in the liner notes to mention that they played mostly vintage reissue instruments-- Fender Bassman 59 Reissue, '82 Gibson Les Paul 30th Anniversary, Fender Twin Reverb '65 Reissue, etc. this is not gearhead music, though there might be some allusion to the depth of tone created by the instruments contributing to the soundscapes.

Laconic though it is, "we are dust under the dying sun" offers many small, fleeting moments of emotion amid a tonal canvas that, while void of form, is saturated with intimate presence. The Dutch trio # Seconds of Air inhabit a world of constant drone, under which lie many an undiscovered creature.

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