If this sounds familiar, it's because it should be. This was first released on Spectre in 2005, and I reviewed it back then (has it really been that long?). I have intentionally not gone back to see what I wrote back then because I want to listen to it without any preconceived notions. That said, I have enjoyed Fox's work immensely, so I knew what I was in for. For those who are unfamiliar, this is the work of Dan Fox, who is also the person behind the Inner Demons label and a host of projects, including This Is What I Hear When You Talk, Fail, and, of course, Loss. Let's dive in.
This is heavy as hell, but not in the way one would think. Rather, this is emotionally heavy. From the minor tone synth and the screeching sound that usher in "The Turning" to the stark ending works of "A Moment of Reflection," which is one of the darkest, most authentic power electronics tracks I have ever heard, there is a sense of tension in the tracks that weighs on the listener. There are moments of respite to be sure. For example, "Happy Ending?" is almost peaceful compared to some of the other tracks and "Wrapped Up" is a bit of spacey ambience with some crackling noise and a some flanger thrown in. Fox manages to take truly beautiful synth lines and reflects them through a funhouse mirror to show the ugliness just beneath the beauty that is demonstrably only skin deep. But the tension is between the lovely synth work and the harsh noise and often barely intelligible vocals layered in sheets of distortion that keeps everything interesting. "As Seen on TV" is a great example of this approach.
There are two remixes and one of the original tracks was also a remix of a prior Loss track. It was interesting to listen to "A View From Afar" and hear how Fox has reworked "All the World's a Stage, But I Just Work the Lights" from A Letter That Will Never Be Sent, which was the track that made me originally fall in love with Loss. The original musical themes are still there, but there is a different feel to it. At times it is almost subdued, but like a cat waiting to pounce, it suddenly explodes. This really is a remix rather than simply a cover of his own tracks, as remixes can tend to be. Where the original "Happy Ending?" is almost languid in its smoothness, albeit in a melancholy way, "Happy Ending? (Tension and Sorrow Remix by Loss)" is much more jagged, with a lot of hiss and crackle and spoken word added in about having a panic attack. This is much grittier and really calls attention to the question mark in the title. Where the original still had a sense of resigned hope, this version gives no such solace, even as it smooths out and becomes much more symphonic. For the last remix, Talvekoidik plays it a bit too safe with their remix of "The Turning," and I would have liked to see them mess with it a bit more and put their stamp on it. Still, it helps to have great source material.
In short, this is a disc that has stood the test of time and sounds every bit as fresh as it did when it was first released by Spectre almost two decades ago. If you missed it the first time, you don't want to make the same mistake twice.