Pure Tone Audiometry

RESTOCK. Pure Tone Audiometry is Aarktica's most involved work yet, approaching the balance between "drone" and "song". Although the overall tone of the album is consistent and dreamlike, the content within is as varied as DeRosa's personality, combining gentle lullabies with jagged atonalism, string trios with white noise guitars, and feverish percussion overtop sedate drones. Unlike the sleepy pace of much of Aarktica's back catalog, Pure Tone Audiometry indulges in some moments of pure upbeat indie rock, resting seamlessly against the album's ambient backdrop. The changes in Aarktica's sound are no doubt due to the album's co-production by Charles Newman of Flare, as well as the all-star cast joining Aarktica for this outing, which includes Hadley Kahn of NYC's space-rock ensemble Escapade on drums, Andrew Prinz of Mahogany on cello, Lorraine Lelis of Mahogany on vocals, Ernie Adzentovich of Plexus on upright bass, Molly Sheridan on violin, and Charles Newman on harmonium. DeRosa's trademark guitar loops and stark vocals are still evident as well. As always, no synthesizers were used on this recording, opting for manipulation of organic instruments instead.