Electronic Sound May 2015 (Regular Edition) | Page 24

ALBUM REVIEWS

pot of sounds. Drawing on elements of
house, techno, krautrock, ambient, drone
and beyond, all bleeding and merging
into each other, it drifts between vast
stretches of darkness and light. It’s
beautiful, intricate stuff.

WALLS
Urals

ECSTATIC RECORDINGS
The last offering in an album trilogy, but
is it the end or a new beginning for the
accomplished London duo?
The final part of a sort of three-album
holy trinity that began with the fluid,
oscillating textures of Walls’ self-titled
2010 debut (which, quite rightly, ended
up as the electronic album of choice on
various end-of-year lists) and continued
with the mesmeric kosmische bliss-out of
2011’s ‘Coracle’, ‘Urals’ is the culmination
of a four-year journey for London-based
soundscapers Alessio Natalizia and Sam
Willis.
That’s how long the duo have been in the
studio, painstakingly crafting, enhancing
and tweaking their signature sound into
futuristic synth-led vistas that lean more
towards the dancefloor than ever before.
The time spent twiddling knobs and
hunkering down behind the console has
evidently been put to good use because
‘Urals’, arguably Walls’ most rounded
and defined release to date, is a hugely
rewarding listen.
As with the first two albums, it’s an
expansive and immersive experience,
unashamedly seductive as it first entices
then pulls you into its alluring melting

Natalizia and Willis are musical sponges,
absorbing the eclectic electronic sounds
around them. Their burgeoning Ecstatic
Recordings imprint has seen them
release music by kindred spirits such
as Pye Corner Audio, Axel Willner (The
Field) and L/F/D/M, as well as their
own individual work (Natalizia’s woozy
synth-led workouts as Not Waving and
Willis’ ritualistic techno as Primitive
World). And let’s not forget last year’s
otherworldly ‘Sound Houses’ album,
which saw them rework the archive of
BBC Radiophonic Workshop founder
Daphne Oram. Being exposed to such a
wealth of groundbreaking, creative music
seems to have evolved their sound into
even more widescreen realms, as ‘Urals’
so admirably attests.
The goosebump moments keep coming
thick and fast. There’s the bassy

motorik groove and analogue bleeps of
the title track, and the probing, early
Human League-like pulses of ‘Altai’,
given incredible sheen and depth by
Sonic Boom’s mastering. ‘I Can’t Give
You Anything But Love’ is an intense
Moroder-esque blast riven through with
glorious arpeggiated riffs, while the
sublime, drone-hued drift of ‘Radiance’
in some small way feels kind of inspired
by Eno’s ambient work, particularly
1983’s wonderful ‘Apollo’ album. Just like
that record, there’s a rare, authoritative
artistry to ‘Urals’ that hints at long-term
durability.
Natalizia and Willis would appear to be
cutting loose at the perfect moment,
the very top of their game. This isn’t
strictly goodbye, of course, as there are
countless other great Natalizia/Willis side
projects to discover and cherish instead.
But if this is truly to be Walls’ epilogue,
it’s a darned fine legacy to leave behind.
VELIMIR ILIC