ZOVIET FRANCE - SHOUTING AT THE GROUND @ 35

 

Turning 35 years old this month is Zoviet France’s monolithic double LP masterpiece, Shouting at the Ground, which was released in May of 1988. The album marked a stylistic shift for the group compared to previous releases. Most notably, they began working with digital signal processing devices. Previous releases had all been created using basic analogue instruments and effects like tape loops & delays, spring reverb tanks, acoustic instruments and, occasional analogue synths. With the adoption of digital effects processors & sampling, the sound took on a much more drone-centered compositional style, taking advantage of the potential to extend digital reverb and delays into sustained, near infinite soundscapes. The packaging for the album was also surprisingly conventional, incorporating a standard LP cover with printed color inner sleeve inserts. Previous LPs had made use of exotic materials like rubber, foil, burlap and roofing tiles, often with hand painted or screen printed accents and graphics. Though the album represented a technological evolution and a slight move towards more mainstream accessibility, it retained the band’s sense of mystery and atmosphere, creating sonic landscapes of vast expanse and depth, placing them at the forefront for the development of dark ambient music.