Nonhorse vs. Noise vs. Signal;
Making Sense of Haraam by Nonhorse.

In information theory, noise is a force that operates against the flow of information; it is the bringer of chaos determined to interfere with messages and disrupt narrative and order.
But in Haraam, the recent solo release by Nonhorse (aka G Lucas Crane), the play of noise vs. signal is seen not in the usual hierarchical perspective that personifies noise as an antagonistic villain purposely attempting to confuse and derail, but instead it presents an acoustic celebration and exploration of the phenomenon of disruption. In the process, the sounds that are produced create a compositional logic in its own right.
In an ironic twist, it seems to be the intention of Nonhorse to record the nearly impossible exercise of making sense through noise. It's a courageous, if not masochistic demonstration of reconciling the polar forces of order and chaos.
The recording utilizes every resource in order to suggest a broken, but potential narrative: The cd cover is an illustration of what might be a burning castle, the mysterious title of the cd -- "Haraam"-- is it referring to Islamic prohibition? is it a person? a place? The track titles string together to create a short surreal story, the sounds themselves even provoke narrative imagery in a soundtrack to nightmares or psychological horror movies made only in the listeners head.
Beyond the interesting conceptual elements, the music on the cd holds up as a skillfully navigated field of sound and makes for a thrilling listening experience. This isn't always the case with concept projects, many of which privilege the idea over the content to such a degree that quality is critically undermined. But that isn't the case in this instance. In fact, Haraam is the most complete Nonhorse release to date.
The first few tracks effectively establish a crazed and ominous tone sampling a full pallet of industrial noises, animals sounds and undecipherable voices in the background. Somehow, Nonhorse manages to create a sound that is simultaneously unobtrusively ambient and violently hectic.
The cd takes a more tangible turn, especially in track 6, 7 and 8, where the noise begins to turn into music and the elements of composition become more conspicuous. The tension created in the first fifteen minutes is a perfect introduction to the richness in the middle section. The cd ends with a return to the post-industrial nightmare lullabies where it began. Like a good tight narrative, listening to Haraam from beginning to end gave me the sensation that I have experienced something real, and in the end I feel as if I fully comprehend the struggles of Nonhorse in the endeavor to make a whole out of a collection of found fragments.

review by Ric Royer