ABOUT THIS ITEM

Italy's Vanessa Van Basten reside among a rare breed of bands (loosely categorized as 'post-rock') that truly create instead of simply copy. At times lush and layered, at others minimal and haunting, "Closer To The Small/Dark/Door"'s breadth is the result of years in the underground. Although quite heavy, the album employs far more atmosphere and ambiance than its contemporaries.

Acoustic / classical instrument tracks conjure visions of Mogwai conducted by Ennio Morricone, while programming-centric tracks imagine Swans personnel falling hard for a Mediterranean girl who listens to a lot of Godflesh and Jesu. Nothing fits snugly into place, though - Vanessa Van Basten pushes genre boundaries in more than one direction. Thankfully, these veterans know the importance of 'too much' vs 'not enough'.

"Closer To The Small/Dark/Door" is a truly unique 50 minutes of rock music.