Ramleh is a cornerstone of the UK industrial and noise underground. Staring out in the early '80s, they are one of the pioneers of noise and power electronics alongside the likes of Whitehouse and Sutcliffe Jügend. But, beneath the havoc and the sonic debris, Ramleh always carried an emotional pulse. It is what separates their finest moment, Hole In The Heart, and it shows how it has influenced modern interpretations, such as Prurient or Pharmakon, to tap into a wider array of feelings and emotions.
What is very interesting about Ramleh is their transformation following the release of Hole In The Heart. Gradually, they shifted their focus, moving away from their pure noise abstractions and stepping into a noise rock form, taking on psychedelic elements and post-punk motifs. It is a mode that continues to this very day, and it arguably reaches a peak with their new record Hyper Vigilance.
The one constant for Ramleh has been their emotional core, and that is immediately audible from the start of "Thunberg II." Here, the noise applications are traded for a psychedelic pull, the slow-moving progression casting a mesmerizing net. The arrangement is impressive and the instrumentation vast, as new components subtly appear within the set space, making the process appear like a ceremony. Ramleh then twist this around, removing the rock component from the psychedelic endeavour and instead plunging into an equally hazy electronic space with "Into The Termite Mound," tilting toward krautrock and kosmische musik with their languid progressions.
Still, the hallucinatory effect is key, but Ramleh expose it in different ways. They embrace a neofolk shading, with the strange acoustic trajectory of "Nothing Here But Fire" merging industrial and noise rock motifs to produce its off-kilter quality. It also brings a certain otherworldly essence to the second half of "New National Anthem," where again the acoustic guitars provide an additional lift. And further configurations have the same narcotic result, be it through the noise rock space of "Frisson" and its Swans-ian breaks and backward groove, or when they go for a more post-rock vibe. "Forage" sees them using their guitars and the resulting feedback to create vast soundscapes.
All this does not mean that Ramleh have forgotten about their past. Without breaking their dream spell, they summon a burst of power electronics mayhem in the ending of "Nothing Here But Fire," they tear down the post-rock machinations of "Forage," and they unleash an absolute beating with the industrial pummelling that kicks off "New National Anthem." They also find the space to explore their minimal edge, with the closing track "Nityapralaya" going after a drone approach, where slow riffs combine with glacial synth pads against a wall of feedback.
It is a rich tapestry, one that interchanges with moods, vibes, and genres, but never loses focus. "New National Anthem" is the quintessential track here, moving aptly through all the different styles, almost as if it is moving through the band's discography over the years. Yet, the one thing that never changes is the unmistakable emotional core. That is still present here, and it is what makes Hyper Vigilance such a potent record.
