Search - Venetian Snares :: Winter in Belly of a Snake

Genius

David Iles | Denham Springs, LA United States | 07/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"taking the freewheeling rhythms and virtuosity of Squarepusher, tossing in doses of Aphex Twin and the kitchen sink, and you've got Aaron Funk, aka Venetian Snares. Familiarities aside, VS certainly has cut a big hole for himself in current music that sounds like nothing else. After breaking out just a couple of years ago and since dropping 5 full length albums, he's the one of the brightest young artists (and most vital) in 10 years. This is his best. VS cuts, slaps, clicks, buzzes, and crashes his way through melody and rhythm like literally NONE before him. Its often a bit overwhelming, but in a truly satisfying and inspiring manner. Drill n bass and glitch cut across a barren, generally bassless landscape with actual vocals and classical and disorientingly modern melodies sitting atop the maelstrom. Hands down the best track here is "Cashew". A track like this can hold up to anything AFX can put up. After 5 albums, this guy is getting better and better. AFX and Squarepusher have a new peer. Now, lets get that new KID606 album out."

A venetian snares album.

Quinton Harris | Fairbanks, AK United States | 03/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Winter In the Belly of a Snake" gets 4 stars only because it has "suffocate" on it. The rest of the album is so-so and would warrant a three. This cd is worth the price of admission simply for "Suffocate", which, if it could be approximated by stars, would get about 212.



The album on the whole is very quiet and clicky, panned all over the freakin place, and of course crazy ass time signatures as you would come to expect. I thought the first five tracks were solid, then he kinda runs out of things to do or something. Very well programmed, just not very musical imho. That said, "Suffocate" is probably the most beautiful song I have ever heard and it haunts me constantly. "Tattoo" and "Dad" are very good songs too. Also "January" just for the expert placement of Garrison Keillor sample ;)

There are a couple vocals on here, "Dad" and "Tattoo" use both very well. Venetian Snares is the techno you play for your punk/metal/hardcore friends who think they are so cool because they listen to hard music. If they aren't into vsnares, they haven't heard hard music, and once they hear it from you they will be like OMG... how...?!"

A quieter, weirder Venetian Snares

Chris 'raging bill' Burton | either Kent or Manchester, United Kingdom | 12/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although some of his other albums have their quiet moments, most of what I've heard from Venetian Snares so far is in your face aggression. So I was surprised when I first started listening to Winter In The Belly Of A Snake. Those expecting tracks like Hand Thrown or Make Ronnie Rocket will be disappointed - while they're a far cry from drum and bass they're a lot closer to it than anything here. If you want something like Find Candace or Making Orange Things you'll probably be disappointed as well. Winter In The Belly Of A Snake is a more subdued, abstract affair.



The synth sounds seem to ape 70s progressive rock more than they do 90s electronic. The drum patterns sound more like odd noises and sound effects at times rather than more convential drum sounds, even when compared with other Venetian Snares albums. Often we are treated some avant-garde-esque piano or violin sounds, something his heavier albums didn't have time for.



Winter In The Belly Of A Snake is, of all I've heard by Venetian Snares, a harder album to listen to yet its very enjoyable as a consequence. I do need to be in the right mood to listen to it (whereas I could listen to Find Candace or Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits just about any time), but I often find that that's the beauty of this sort of music - the way it plays with your imagination and opens itself to you over time. If you don't live for the abstract and subdued then Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits or Chocolate Wheelchair Album are better bets, but if you like weirder, quieter music that isn't afraid to flirt with avant-garde, then this album is one well worth looking at."