Review: In Death It Ends – 'After The Last Frame'

IN DEATH IT ENDS
'After the Last Frame'
AUFNAHME + WIEDERGABE

It isn't often that Porl King lets loose his ambient side, but with the latest release under the In Death It Ends Moniker, he does just that. 'After The Last Frame' is a departure even by IDIE standards with each of the six tracks the result of manipulations & interpolations of the soundtrack to "suicidemouse.avi", a creepypasta story based on a “lost” Micky Mouse cartoon.

The EP harks back to the more experimental beginnings of the project, with more of a fluid form that sees the tracks gently guided as they slowly evolve and reform themselves. Opening with 'Those Thirty Seconds', the emphasis is immediately on dark ambient textures and a cavernous bleak atmosphere as the prominent hanging drones fill the speakers. 'The 7^th Minute' on the hand makes good use of a simple repetitive rhythm that continually loops as the synths hum and whir low in the mix. 'After The Last Frame' continues with the simple rhythms but brings the synths higher up the mix to counteract the primitive industrial noises that punctuate the track.

'Lost Episode' is a more recognisable IDIE style of track with a more uniform structure that blends down-beat witch house with cold wave for a deceptively accessible song. 'Upon Leaving the Room' again makes use of a simple repetitive rhythm, however this time the looping melodies add a lighter tone but still in a way that preserves the surreal nature of the EP. The EP is then rounded off by 'Cut Black', which again goes back into more familiar IDIE territory with it's more proto-industrial vibe and grooving bass line underneath a simple rhythm.

In terms of production this is another example from Porl of how to keep the low-fi, underground edge without actually loosing any of the quality. And despite the prolific rate at which King writes, records, and releases work for IDIE, he never falls into the traps of being released half baked, or lacking spit and polish.

The "suicidemouse.avi" is a nice link to internet meme culture and faux-urban legend storytelling that fits the In Death It Ends mystique quite nicely. But when all is said and done, this is another interesting and yet accessible experimental release that will appeal to current fans, as well as those with a passing fancy for dark ambient and more avant garde flavours.  

Posted in: after the last frame,In Death It Ends,music