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Whilst (chronologically) not a new band, A Whisper In The Noise will be a new name to many; they are a band who deserve some attention, and with this new release they should finally gain the deserved recognition.
A Whisper In The Noise are a Minneapolis-based group formed in 2002 by West Thordson, who grew up on a large patch of farmland in the rural Minnesota town of Hanska (population 406). As an adult, Thordson moved into the abandoned elementary school he attended as a boy, where he composed in the music room in which he had played as a child, wandering the empty halls at night.
A Whisper In The Noise is the project of composer Thordson, incorporating strings, piano, lush-toned electronics, and atmospheric singing – This dark, dramatic sense of loneliness and solitude is channelled into the unique and darkened sound A Whisper In The Noise have become known for. They are set to release a new album ”ËœTo Forget’ in March (Exile on Mainstream Records) – On the subject of the new album, which has been nearly two years in the making, West states “most of the material was built on moving forward from my extremely negative grievances from the past”
In the meantime they have produced a video to accompany the beautiful album track ‘Your Hand’. What is interesting about this video is that it is filmed at the farmland where he resides and where the album was recorded, therefore giving a real sense of context to the music.
Interestingly, on the forthcoming album, other band member Sonja Larson has become a more integral part in the creation process as she not only plays violin but adds voice and song writing skills to the whole album.
For the album Thordson and Larson approached the song-writing process by drawing upon influences not only from other music (they reference Philip Glass, Roger Waters and Arvo Part) but from nature and in particular its power and atmospheric sounds. The result is a coherent and focused album of true, honest music, shining by its purity and cinematic waves of sound. To Forget is music to sink into and become part of the listener’s emotional landscape.
Lovers of slow-core, neo-classic gothic and especially fans of Low, Black Rose, Cindytalk will surely find lots to love about the brooding and dark sounds of A Whisper In The Noise.
A Whisper In The Noise have previously been produced by Steve Albini who was so impressed he took the band to Europe to open for his own band Shellac; perhaps now is the time for A Whisper In The Noise to make themselves heard.
