Review of Ben Frost’s “By the Throat”

So, in case you weren’t entirely sure, Ben Frost isn’t Jack Frost’s brother. He is neither kindly nor peaceful nor pricking your nose out of sheer delight (although we can’t be too certain that he isn’t, or doesn’t; but we digress). Ben Frost, experimental musician and collaborator, utilizes what appears to be animal noises, heart beats, EKG machines, and… weed whackers? Chainsaws? Due to the superior creative nature, we’re thinking chainsaws, to stop listeners in their tracks as to what exactly is penetrating their ears on his forthcoming  album, By the Throat.

Frost, with over thirty works under his belt with duties ranging from mix artist to producer, is no novice at constructing worlds and frames of thought – all dark and brooding – in ways and with means one would least expect. Channeling an element of unwanted or self-inflicted solitude, it’s not background music, not just mood music, but almost subliminal in nature, with the added benefit of being strictly instrumental so as not to enforce one’s feelings upon listeners. Literally, everything’s open for interpretation. What stands out for one will provide a bridge into another track for another, and vice versa, but as they say in publishing, there’s not a lot of white space. We like it.

A track worth mentioning would be “Leo Needs a New Pair of Shoes”, which invokes the aforementioned sentiments – ranging from alternating ascending/descending scales on the piano, strings, ending with howling wolves. Almost as intriguing as the broad component spectrum – from crashing cymbals, to random pulsating and reversed melodies, always on the edge of chaos – are the names of the tracks. Most especially the last three, which are tied together in sound if not merely by their titles. “Through The Glass Of The Roof”, “Through The Roof Of Your Mouth”, “Through The Mouth Of Your Eye”, are aptly named – audibly retaining a common thread from one to the next as much as in name. Like the work in its entirety, it’s just enough to keep things interesting.

By the Throat will be released on October 19.

Tracklisting

01. Killshot
02. The Carpathians
03. O God Protect Me
04. Híbakúsja
05. Untitled Transient
06. Peter Venkman Pt I
07. Peter Venkman Pt II
08. Leo Needs A New Pair Of Shoes
09. Through The Glass Of The Roof
10. Through The Roof Of Your Mouth
11. Through The Mouth Of Your Eye