Roll The Dice - Born To Ruin
(The New Black)

The name Roll The Dice may not mean that much to you but the 2 members of the Swedish group, Peder Mannerfelt and Malcolm Pardon, have a pretty deep history in the world of experimental music. Pardon is well established in his own right thanks to his film and television scores and Mannerfelt performs and produces with Fever Ray and just released the critically acclaimed solo album Controlling Body. They’re now 4 albums in on their Roll The Dice project and they continue to push the boundaries of dark ambient music. Born To Ruin is a brooding collection of shape-shifting, jazz influenced, twisted soundscapes that is as evocative as it is haunting. This collection of basement dwelling, synth pieces shows Pardon and Mannerfelt creating music that is organic, and appealing to fans of their earlier work on Digitalis and Leaf and for newcomers who veer towards artists like Colin Stetson and The Haxan Cloak. 
“Cannonball” hits those marks as tenor sax mingles with ominous bass synth and piercing single note pulses for a dark and creeping mood, while “Potter Field” resides in ambient atmospheres with smokey saxophones, slurred piano chords and a thick, world-less landscape. “Locked Hands” evokes luminosity as repetitive, timpani-like tones give way to devilish synth washes giving it a techno-like rhythm while the opening dread of “The Derailed” presents the blackest mood of all. Gurgling, cyclical synths transition and build with saxophone and mutated percussion for a sign of things to come for the rest of Born To Ruin.
You’d be hard pressed to find something as rich in atmosphere and texture as you’ll find on Mannerfelt and Pardon’s work in Roll The Dice. Born To Ruin is a masterclass in this field and will appeal to anyone with an adventurous taste for experimental electronic music or the avant garde. (Dom)
Check out a track here.