I just discovered this artist a few nights ago. On my first listen, I didn’t think I was going to finish this album. That’s the truth. When “Cortege” started and I saw it was 10 minutes long, I almost skipped ahead. I wasn’t in the mood for something that slow. But I let it play while staring at my ceiling. and somewhere around minute three or four it calmly pulled me in. It stretches out in a patient way. Just building, layer by layer. like it trusts you’ll stay.
When “Dagaz” came on. I stopped checking the track length. There’s something about how Cracks In The Real shapes sound. The restless drums. those flickering unstable electronic bits. It creates this late-night atmosphere that’s hard to shake. It kind of traps you gently.
“Nox Obscura” surprised me. The spoken words land heavily. I replayed that one immediately. It has this weight to it that sits in your chest for a while. Then “Tsimtzum” eases things back. A little glitch here, a little space there. It breathes differently. Not softer exactly, just more restrained.
And “The Mourning Star”. I didn’t expect to like that one as much as I did. I actually played it the next morning with coffee and it worked. That doesn’t happen often with darker records. Some tracks are long. Some are brief. But the album never feels careless. You can tell there’s intention behind the structure and pacing. It’s experimental, a bit heavy at times, but it’s never empty.
I wasn’t planning to write about this record. Now I’m glad I did. I’ll be keeping an eye on Cracks In The Real, because this one stuck around longer than I thought it would.
