The Austrian experimental musician Black (W)hole has returned with a new album called Kaleidoscopic Rhapsody, due May 30th. You won’t find a lot of information about the Black (W)hole online, and I get the feeling they may like it that way. The sense of mystery about the project adds to the appeal.
Kaleidoscopic Rhapsody consists of 12 tracks that explore the outer fringes of drone, folk, noise, psychedelic, and space rock. I suspect many of the tracks are improvisational, which is always impressive to me.
“Rough Landing” opens the record with a foreboding background drone and dissonant acoustic guitar. It sounds similar to Black (W)hole’s previous record, Something New, Something Old, from 2023. The track’s buzzing drone adds an ominous feel—a true “rough landing.”
“Choosing To Do Nothing Is Stil a Choice” is an interesting, philosophical track title. The song applies more of a psychedelic touch, with a crunchy guitar riff and Iker Garmendia’s flute playing. “Electric Dreams in the Forest” is another excellent song name that reminds me of something Phillip K. Dick may have conjured. The song sparkles with a dark mysticism amid what sounds like wind chimes and the sinister electric guitar.
“Reconciliation” is a short guitar-driven track featuring a combination of acoustic strumming and electric guitar improvisation. The dynamic created by the dual-guitar attack is highly satisfying. “Exemption” rocks a bit harder, the electric guitar wailing and the addition of the drums.
The record closes with “The Long Farewell,” an apt track to close with. The track name reminded me of one from QOTSA—“Long Slow Goodbye.” In “Long Farewell,” Black (W)hole gives us a master class in acoustic guitar playing and layering of other sounds that create a genuinely kaleidoscopic rhapsody.
Kaleidoscopic Rhapsody is a great instrumental record from the mysterious Austrian Black (W)hole. It is good for fans of experimental, krautrock, and offbeat psychedelia. The record defies conventional psychedelic tropes and has some darker edges that make it all the more interesting. If you like Kaleidoscopic Rhapsody, dig into the rest of Black (W)hole’s work, including Fuzzology and Cosmic Noise Symphony. Enjoy!
Pre-order Kaleidoscopic Rhapsody by Black (W)hole on Bandcamp here.
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