The Infant Cycle - The Bundle of Joy

Artist: The Infant Cycle

Album: The Bundle of Joy

Label: Silber Records

Genre:Experimental

In underground left field music circles, The Infant Cycle is synonymous with high quality experimental music. For over twenty years, Jim DeJong, the man behind The Infant Cycle project, has produced over 50 albums and collaborated with many known names in the experimental music field, including Aidan Baker and Dronaement.

His latest effort, The Bundle of Joy, is a collection of tracks gathered over the years and featuring music never released before or very hard to find. The music has been produced using unusual methods: carved vinyl records, amplification of near silence and radio interference. Traditional instruments were also used: various keyboards (among them, the mighty Korg Poly-800) and a bass guitar.

Mixing harsh tones with meditative atmospheres, The Infant Cycle never let his audience down: just when you think a track is going to loop for a long time, a burst of rhythmic noise comes out of nowhere and take you on unexpected sonic territory. Something rare among experimental noise artists: The Infant Cycle has his own style. His trademark harsh ritualistic rhythms and mastered synthetic soundscapes are gripping, interesting and enjoyable at the same time. The mixing of various experimental sub-genre makes The Bundle of Joy a genuine joy: ambient drones collide with lofi rhythmic noise, field recordings of birds are followed by dense darkwave atmospheres and tribal percussion tapestry. Overall, the album reminds me of the time when I listened to late night experimental radio shows, discovering obscure genres of music and sound art. It's that sense of wonder I've got back with The Bundle of Joy and it fells good!