Fognode's
Beat Hollow is a Brian Siskind project disguised as an electronic music CD. In reality, Siskind combines many styles and techniques and this is firmly an avant-garde effort. Using loops, delays, computer noises, sci-fi sound effects, and a rock & roll rhythm section, he has built an eclectic soundscape. The atmospheres swirl around the steady rhythm. The strange experimental sounds grate like fingernails on a chalkboard. The coolest thing is that it works. Siskind's sound design skills are flawless and there is no over-the-top sound. In other words, he did not overdo it. The soundscape elements flow in and out smoothly and seamlessly. This CD compares favorably to the computer ambience of Robert Scott Thompson and to the rhythmic efforts of Gravity Hill and
Milk Baby. It is a great disc, but only for the adventurous. ~ Jim Brenholts