Drone Signals is a companion piece to Staccato Signals, Ben Chatwin's boldest work to date. Here he deconstructs the elements of Staccato Signals, spacing them out and giving them more room to breathe. It isn't worlds apart from the original album, as there are still layers of foreboding strings and the occasional presence of a heartbeat-like racing pulse, but there's a heavier presence of modular synth textures, and a bit less steely distortion. Tracks like "Nordsjøen" offer a wonderful, multi-dimensional mix of gloom and splendor, equally soothing and chilling. "Lost at Sea" begins heading toward a suspenseful climax with the aid of harpsichord-like synth tones, yet it strangely cuts off and becomes suspended in mid-air. Instead of being anti-climactic, this transfixes the listener, ultimately making more of an impact than if Chatwin just went for a stock cinematic crescendo. Even when he does build up to a mass of tearjerking strings on penultimate track "Bone," the descending synth notes and cluster of decaying distortion set the piece far apart from clichéd Hollywood-style composition. Offering a broader perspective on Chatwin's Staccato Signals material without diminishing its power, Drone Signals is a captivating release in its own right, and shouldn't be viewed as a lesser work.
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