A Crown of Amaranth is a relatively new project based out of South Bend, Indiana and masterminded by Brandon Elkins. This release is a very special release indeed, since Brandon personally designed the packaging for each copy of the EP and therefore each copy of the EP features different artwork. Plus to go with the albums theme Brandon shaved the hairs off of his head and packaged a lock of his hair with each EP. Those statements alone should prove that Brandon is very serious about his work and wants to give the listeners a very special experience with his releases.
ACOA’s music is everything ranging from ambient to harsh noise, experimental electronics, and even the occasional inclusion of some guitar. The first track and surely the most unexpected is a remix of Jay-Z’s song ‘Dirt Off Ya Hova.’ I’m not familiar with the original, but the remix here sounds very much in the vein of drum ‘n’ bass, breakcore, and experimental electronic music, possibly comparable to Venetian Snares. The second song is a journey through harsh electronics, ambiance and noise, yet Brandon has a certain something in his music that really makes it standout from the herd. Towards the end of the song things become a bit mellower and it allows for some smooth acoustic guitars to enter. The third song again features more acoustic guitar with soft electronics, backing ambiance and what sounds like a sample of someone speaking. The last song is a nine minute composition that’s mostly ambient, but again features some smooth electronics and guitar, and a slightly more experimental feeling that instantly brought Steven Stapleton’s Nurse With Wound to mind. The whole song has a very prickly odd feeling to it, but certainly it’s a feeling I like.
ACOA delivers a very impressive EP that is challenging at first, but once you succumb to the sounds within you’ll find a superb twenty two minutes of music pouring out of your speakers and into your ears. Act fast though, because this EP is limited to something like fifty copies and will likely go fast. You can buy it at Audio Savant Records for a measly $4.00. http://www.audiosavant.com/
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