Terminal Sound System

"Solaris" (Album, 2003)

Released back in 2003 as a seriously limited edition of just 100 copies on the Hive Records label, even then this was a remastered reissue of this debut album - the first time it was available outside of Australia. All of which might lead you to believe that Terminal Sound System may not be up to muster. That couldn't be further from the truth.

The solo act of HALO's Skye Klein, based in the Aussie metropolis of Melbourne, this genre-blending instrumental suite of tracks splices aspects of noise, trip hop, breakbeat, industrial, dub and ambient into a rich, chilling, if often dark bass-heavy audio journey of discovery. The seven track titles themselves act as signposts to the essence of the listening experience: Fused, Under Static, Uncalm Shudder, Recoil, Minimal Tolerance To Injected Errata, Deep Trauma and, finally, the eight-minute objective: Solaris.

Described as the aural equivalent of sunlight refracting off expansive tundra, it could equally function as the soundtrack to the directionless lives of the disaffected urban youth of any major city around the globe. This reissue added two remixes - one by Hive stable act Retnah and the other from Ad Noiseam recording artist Larvae. Available via digital download through the Internet Archive, the global audience potential for this very personal yet strangely fascinating music can be realised; and it will be more than one hundred downloads, that's for sure. 7/10

Rob Dyer (October 2009)