Album Review: The Mountain King - Tsunami of Hope (2022)

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Cover photo by Steffen Albrecht; 

Cover parts by Engin Aykurt and Vino Li; 

Cover composition by Eric McQueen

The Mountain King - Tsunami of Hope
Release Date: July 01, 2022
Label: Analog Scum Recordings
Format: Cassette/USB-Stick/Digital
Duration: 19:46
Genre: LoFi / Ambient
Origin: Mainz, Germany

The Mountain King from Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate keeps releasing new music on high frequency. Only five months after the release of the last Drone Doom opus and celebration of palindromes "WolloW", the latest release "Tsunami of Hope" is here. If you are acquainted with Eric McQueen and his music, you know that The Mountain King's releases can roughly be categorized in two spheres: the Drone, Doom or Metal releases on the one hand, and the more experimental output on the other. Take the monumental Space Doom odyssey "The Smell of Stars and Vomit" as a recent example for the first, and the Electro Punk banger "C.A.O.S.D." as an example for the latter.
"Tsunami of Hope" which is available for streaming, on cassette tape, and on a condom-shaped USB stick does not neglect the artist's affinity to Ambient or Drone, but nevertheless is aeons away from The Mountain King's Doom or Metal sounds - here is the salutogenetic LoFi album "Tsunami of Hope".

On bandcamp, The Mountain King describes "Tsunami of Hope" as "Disharmonic symphonic poems about the status quo of humanity". This poetry remains wordless since the whole album is instrumental, except for some vocal samples. And speaking of samples, this is what the album is made from. By the help of Ghosthack Samples, McQueen has created ten cinematic and atmospheric soundscapes to get lost in.

As the album's title reveals, it is a story about hope. And yet, realism plays a certain role because 'The Tsunami of Hope comes in Droplets' as the album's third title tells us.
The instrumental poems were written between 2020 and 2022 which means that the pandemic has certainly left its traces on the soundscapes - that may or may not be present in the title 'Deeprrression'. Furthermore, The Mountain King addresses topics such as computerization and digitalization ('Alan 1936'), climate change and the catastrophe we are approaching ('Dallol Beach Resort'), consumerism and decadence ('Salted Caramel Permafrost Thawing Espresso Oat Latte'), poverty and injustice ('p0.000r'), late capitalism ('Bad Bank Fountain'), and more.

And of course, one may ask, is it really a hoepful album? Or is it rather a depressed but sober view at the status quo?
Despite the darkness of the topics, the droplets of hope which together make the tsunami can be spotted all around. And that is mostly due to the soundscapes, the low-fidelity samples that create a dizzy and comforting numb shell made from glitches, noises, and... Soul.

Although "Tsunami of Hope" may not stand out between TMK releases such as "Wicked Zen" or "Convergence OST", it is a twenty-minute session of balm for your soul and mind. Let the healing be done, and let hope spread.

The Mountain King Online:
Homepage
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bandcamp
SoundCloud
YouTube
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The Mountain King on MangoWave

Music from this release has been added to the following dynamic playlists:
MangoRotation
The Mango 100: Ambient / Drone
The Mango 100: Cinematic Sounds
The Mango 100: D'n'B / Glitch / Trip Hop
The Mango 100: Meditation / Work / Studying
Sound of Germany: The Mango 100

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