Iglomat: Iglomat

Ever get the feeling that some bands just make up a word to use as their name? Such is the case with Iglomat, a project led by DJ, producer, and composer David Jack. The self-titled release involves instrumental electronic post-rock alongside spoken-word samples. For instance, “Tornadic Activity” creates layers of samples and thick, textured beats while a tornado weather report warns listeners in the background. Guitar (by Sandy Carson) and bass play dismal low-end riffs with a foreboding edge. Percussive aspects bring a little hip-hop to the ambient entrails. In moments of relative calm before the storm, the weatherman speaks about the oncoming disaster: “It’s coming with wind / It’s coming with rain / It’s coming with lightning / And it’s coming with the potential to bring some tornadic activity”. Grisly and heavy guitars enter back in full force.

Iglomat put the album together with the help of the dear old Interweb. Most of the album was e-mailed as fragments from live recordings. This hodgepodge method helps make the record sound like a smooth conglomeration of layers. Heavy atmospheres and other-worldly electronic samples combine in tracks like “Achtung Kitler”. Warped bass takes control of the moment as more DJ Shadow-worthy spoken samples creep into the mixture. The dismal, futuristic sounds, plus the song titles, bring to mind a musical genius from the World War II era composing what he thinks the future sounds like, rather than white kitties with Hitler moustaches. Lighter tracks also appear at just the right moments to prevent the disc from being bogged down. “Augustus Loop” involves light strumming, yet with buzzing guitars and cryptic male vocal samples for balance. Also check out tracks “Dial Wookie”, the first single, and the cleverly-titled “Stormtroopers of Gentrification”.