Is There Anyone Else Outside is the split effort between Aughra and Mosh Patrol. Aughra is the ambient/electronic solo-project of Brent Eyestone (member of Forensics, Corn on Macabre, and Waifle) while Mosh Patrol is a similar solo project from Chris King (member of This Will Destroy You).
The Aughra material on Is There Anyone Else Outside is very chilled out and relaxing. "Always Oversleeps" feels like multiple calming waves enveloping the listener's hearing range. The subtle oscillating noises of varying intensity adds a depth to the quiet white noise washes that sound like water breaking against a quiet shore. "Dog Years" follows with an initially piano driven piece that actually has a picked guitar part and an electronically treated drum beat. The drum part kind of seems a bit overpowering when the piano is not present. The track ends rather abruptly and much to my chagrin. I was hoping for the track to go on a bit longer and really get a chance to breath. "A Bluff Carried More Resolutely Through to the Final Limit" is another quiet piece. It is another more electronic based piece that is rather calming. It is tough to make out, but it almost sounds like Eyestone uses a didgeridoo in the recording. The higher pitched noises almost sound like crying birds overtop the aural landscape that the other humming reverberations make. "Courage & Courtesy" has a spoken track with what sounds like a super high speed click track. There is a heavily treated guitar part that you can make out if you listen real intently, but doing that also seems to miss the point of the soundscape that Aughra creates. When the drums hit, Eyestone brings an emotional high with the rise in the music intensity level. It reminds me of the Hogback Sessions Vol. 1 that Eyestone did with his band, Forensics.
Mosh Patrol is very comparable in sound to Aughra save that Chris King seems to have a more keyboard based style. His half of the split is very organically arranged and flows fairly seamless through the songs. From the outset of the Mosh Patrol portion of Is There Anyone Else Outside, there is an understated nostalgic mood. Even the creepy child samples that sporadically appear in "I Love You, Please Come Back" do not truly change the relaxed feel that the material exudes. The rhythmic crunching sounds that serve to propel "I Love You, Please Come Back" could probably be considered the harshest sound that Mosh Patrol produces. The stark guitar tones of "The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same" are gorgeous sounding. Even though King entitles a song "Lullaby," the later track, "I'm Going to Sleep on It," definitely deserves the moniker. It reminds me of the type of melody that might play out of one of those baby mobiles that hang above baby cribs. I find myself enjoying the soothing sounds of Mosh Patrol even though (I must admit) the name of the project initially sent shivers down my spine.
Is There Anyone Else Outside is a pleasant surprise. Both Aughra and Mosh Patrol turn out some relaxing, chill material. The whole record is excellent "work to" music as well. This is a very good split. I must say that after listening to Is There Anyone Else Outside makes me anxious for full-lengths by both artists.
