Album Review: Ensemble 1 – Delay Works (Halfmeltedbrain Records)

Ensemble 1, the experimental minimalist rock/metal band, are back with their second album ‘Delay Works’, out on December 1st, 2023, via Halfmeltedbrain Records.

Our previous experience with Ensemble 1 was a fascinating one, so it’s no real surprise that this follow-up is just as enthralling. Yet, this is a band who constantly push boundaries, and consistently challenge. Delay Works is, once again, a wholly unique experience that demands you question what you think you know about musical compositions. It demands you question what you think you know when someone says the word ‘experimental’.

Delay Works is not like anything else, and while that might not be to much of a surprise to those who have experienced Ensemble 1 before, it is notable that this is, completely, its own thing. A surreal example of auditory impressions, crafted around the mindset of minimalism, and best experienced with a completely open mind.

It might only have three tracks, but Delay Works is a hefty offering, with each track taking the listener on a dramatic journey of ethereal and elemental proportions. Where the experience combines instrumental simplicity with complex and convoluted structures. It’s unconventional to the extreme, music that is uncategorisable, and music that encapsulates the colourful imagination of Ensemble 1.

Does any of this make sense? It’s hard to put into words just what the Delay Works experience actually is. It requires the listener to try and find their own definition, and everyone will have wildly different ones. It is a contender for the most inimitable listen of 2023, which is saying a lot, as this year has seen a hell of a lot of unique listens.

Regardless of what you take from this release, once again, Ensemble 1 have created something very special indeed. Truly, a perfect example of a band doing what they want, how they want, and putting their own stamp on the world of rock and metal.

Ensemble 1 – Delay Works Track Listing:

1. Distorted Fades
2. Drums & Delay Loops
3. Submerged Harmonics

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