Adam KennyHumeric is not a name you’re going to be too familiar with unless you are keeping an eye on Parannoul. The pseudonym for shoegaze, ambient noise rock project from a South Korean artist that is mostly known as Parannoul. I say mostly as the artist has been establishing himself within recent years using various other projects. And by establish, I mean he’ll post on Instagram that he has released a new album under a different name to Parannoul and that’s that.
To See The Next Part of the Dream is their best known project, and also happens to be one of my favourite albums of all time. Some aesthetic inspiration was taken from the Japanese film All About Lily Chou-Chou. The film is sampled across the entire album but most notably at the very start. To See the Next Part of the Dream is considered to be one of the best modern shoegaze albums, and some of the best shoegaze period.
I can’t hear you!
The Parannoul project is known not only for its distinctly textured melodies that are as abrasive as they are soothing, but also for the layered hypnotic vocals across. Humeric takes a slight step back in this aspect. Seeking Darkness is comprised of 5 tracks all labeled “Seeking Darkness Pt1” all the way to part 5. Each track is around 11 to 15 minutes in length. There are some vocals on the project, but the instrumentals are the main focus by far.
The first two tracks are a cacophony of noise. You’re getting a grenade of crunchy, static filled guitars that blow up in your ears. Slowly but surely settling into the next act. “Seeking Darkness Pt. 3” starts off a much easier and somber melody that isn’t too overwhelming. It sounds like something you’d hear from the Smashing Pumpkins at times. Going from gentle and casual acoustics to a riot in a speaker over the course of the 13 minutes. Carrying off into a soft and frankly merry timber that feels like you’re being lifted off into the eye of the storm to get some semblance of peace.
Well timed moments to become deaf
The noise rock aspects of the project are fun. It accomplishes what I actually wanted Tunrstile’s Never Enough to do, where we get hit with a stormy barrage of guitars that are distored to hell that goes off into a gentle melody to cool things down. The runtime for each track does not over stay. Clocking in at a flat hour long album, each track transitions, changes and consistently pans out over the hour with ease. Nothing ever feels out of place or too much.
“Seeking Darkness Pt.5” is a fantastic finale of the album. Chalking it at 9 minutes, it sticks out as the most unique and enjoyable track on the project. Single guitar strums taking over the first part of the track to slowly gather itself into a black metal-esque shock wave that takes over your eardrums. Running into the final half of the song into a melodic catchy soundscape that is followed along with some layered vocals that are wavering like a guitar whammy.
Accessible experiemntation
Seeking Darkness is one of those albums that has quite a bit happening whilst remaining simplistic. The tracks layouts are not difficult to predict. Starting off with rhythmic guitars that will lead into crashing drums towards the middle section of the track. They become almost completely undecipherable. One of Humeric’s greatest abilities is to create this wall of sound that seems impossible to climb but then offers wonderful stepping stones to get over it. Stepping stones in this instance being a melody that breaches through the static and noise. It’s daunting at first just how loud and noisy it can be. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s the harshest album that is out there, but for some it will be incredibly overwhelming.
Overall
Humeric, Parannoul, or however you wish to address the artist, continues to show why they are one of the most exciting, prolific and adored noise rock, shoegaze and ambient artists out there at the moment. Being able to issue sonic explosions into a listeners ear and keeping their attention is a brilliant feat. There’s more than just crunchy or loud guitars here. There is an entire landscape of sounds being offered that they invite you to explore and invest yourself into. Oddly soothing, therapeutic and dense sounds that you can listen to at all times of the day. A great album, that I highly recommend newcomers and fanatics to partake in.
