SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: УВБ-76 – LEAN INTO THE SORROW

УВБ-76
LEAN INTO THE SORROW
HITACHI HOME VIDEO/INDEPENDENT

УВБ-76 is Michael Mitchell and the name he records under, УВБ-76,  is the Cyrillic spelling of UVB-76, the name of a mysterious shortwave signal known as ‘The Buzzer’, which has been broadcast – allegedly by the Russian military – since the 1970.  Lean Into The Sorrow follows УВБ-76 most recent release, Mirage Money, released a month earlier. This art project, which seems to be based in Ottawa and is part of the Hitachi Home Video label/home is experimental ambient/noise. Noise is not criticism, far from it. This is 37 minutes of instrumental music (with found voices thrown in, periodically, for good measure) that is really the soundtrack and sound effects for a film that does not seem to exist. There are no titles of songs, each track is numbered from one through to 20, and the songs never exceed three minutes, with many well under two. But the titles and track numbers do not matter, this is really one continuous piece. Much like John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Unfinished Music Number 1 – Two Virgins, of which this vaguely reminds one.

These are not conventional tunes or songs. It is sound layered with instruments to create mood and a feeling. The tracks end cold and begin cold. There is no time for a lead in, rather the listener is thrown into the performance from the very beginning until it stops. Piano mixes with rain, industrial sounds, synthesizer and computers produce ominous sounds and all the while, the listener feels trapped inside their creation.

Overall, there is a sense of foreboding throughout. There are lighter moments, but in the same way there are humorous moments in American Horror Story. That television show is not a comedy and Lean Into The Sorrow is not light. It is a mood piece designed to take the listener out of their comfort zone. Again, this is not criticism. It is a very listenable creation.

Lean Into The Sorrow is a well-crafted music/sound collage. For those of us who have listened to Shortwave, the album reminds one of trying to get the signal in, but it drifts in and out. So perhaps it is more a radio broadcast than a soundtrack. This album is a lot like that.  It is fascinating from beginning to end, and one just doesn’t know where УВБ-76 is taking the listener. It is extremely sedate and beautiful at times, and at other times it makes one look over their shoulder to make sure they are alone. There is a great deal to discover as one listens to Lean Into The Sorrow, and overall, it is a very rewarding experience.

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