Byla is an ambient duo consisting of members of Dysrhytmia, Behold the Arctopus, and Infidel?/Castro!. The two started to work together in 2003 and have put out their debut full-length this year on Translation Loss Records. Despite the fact that their other bands are known for making either noise (Infidel?/Castro!) or being a technical debauchery (Behold the Arctopus), this band makes very dream-like drones with spacey atmosphere.
Right off the bat, the record starts off very well with 'Sent.' High-pitched panning sounds make your hair stand on edge. A mid-frequency swell builds up in the background until it outgrows its shell and drowns out the high pitched noises. The problem is that when this track ends and it goes into the next track, 'Displacement,' it's so sudden and abrupt that it makes 'Sent' lose all effectiveness. Some of the other tracks flow very well together but this misstep just leaves you with a sour taste having it be so early in the disc.
'Closer to the Center' is one of the best tracks on the disc. Two acoustic guitars sing to each other throughout the beginning before two electric guitars soaked in delay take their post of being in the forefront and continue their feedback loop while getting incredibly loud. The track segues perfectly into 'Passage' showing they are capable of flowing transitions.
There are a couple other standout tracks on the disc as well. 'Submerge' is a very low frequency piece that sounds as if you were spending time in a submarine. Sounds loop and pan back and forth while swelling sounds pass back and forth that sound not unlike water rushing in while the ship submerges. 'The Last to Leave' is one of the more diverse pieces and the longest of them all. Distorted guitar is backed by panning parts that are very pretty sounding, almost like a good vs. evil type of battle. Through the duration of the track, reverb overtakes it slowly before swallowing it whole.
Overall, this record is a decent record but nothing that's breaking new ground. Using mostly guitars, the duo seems a bit limited with what they do but do well in overcoming the limitations. I think a second release will see this band grow into something more special.
