In Ferneaux

Blanck Mass - In Ferneaux
Critic Score
Based on 18 reviews
2021 Ratings: #522 / 753
User Score
Based on 144 ratings
2021 Rank: #772
Liked by 5 people
February 26, 2021 / Release Date
LP / Format
Sacred Bones / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Loud and Quiet

For those of us lucky enough to be in limbo for a while, this is a moving, unsettling piece of work from a singular talent.

80
The Irish Times

All of his projects to date have been brilliant. The Dantesque In Ferneaux is his most emotional, probing, and moving yet.

80
The Arts Desk

Power made this album during lockdown, and the strange numbness and disorientation of our times is reflected in the music.

80
Gigwise

In Ferneaux is a staggering behemoth of electronic storytelling. Soaring heights, anxiety inducing lows, the album is forever changing its sounds and style, never quite letting its audience sit comfortably.

80
AllMusic

In its amorphous flow and stately pace, In Ferneaux is a little less immediate than some of Blanck Mass' previous music, but its fully realized, cathartic musical journey is just as powerful.

80
PopMatters

Blanck Mass provides hard proof that electronic music is one of the few genres evolving and innovating right before our very ears. In Ferneaux is evidence that even if one guy has conceivably "done it all", there's still plenty more to do.

80
musicOMH

A ferocious and often anarchic statement of intent from the noise composer.

77
Beats Per Minute

Usually, Blanck Mass records should be listened to at intense volume, whereas In Ferenaux is so densely packed and beautifully mixed that headphones whilst walking alone late at night are your best option.

75
Spectrum Culture

Pieced together with a decade’s worth of field recordings, In Ferneaux isn’t likely to be a favorite for many Blanck Mass fans, but serves as a fascinating point in Benjamin John Power’s personal journey with this project.

70
Exclaim!

In Ferneaux is everything most Blanck Mass albums are not: patient, subtle and disarmingly low-key. It was made in confinement, but it takes Power to surprising new places.

70
Uncut

The cumulative effect is melancholy, generally compelling and often beautiful, a haunted dancehall of memory and loss.

70
Northern Transmissions

Have you ever woken from a dream that was so vivid but so obscure that you found it hard to explain its nature? That’s ‘In Ferneaux’ in a nutshell.

70
Pitchfork

Equally attracted to the tranquil idyll of kosmische stalwarts Ashra and the crumbling brutality of noise artist Prurient, Power stretches his arms to both these extremes, often in quick succession and sometimes simultaneously, for a stunning, often challenging effect.

60
Under the Radar

Far from a dud, and most definitely something that will divide audiences rather than be seen as a unanimous failure or success, In Fernaux nevertheless reveals itself to be the work of an artist that appears to be enduring a period of reflection, rather than looking forward to the future.

60
The Line of Best Fit

It’s a slower, more meditative affair which deviates significantly from its predecessors and whilst there are gleaming examples of Power’s sonic craftsmanship, they’re hindered by sections of profound aimlessness that move against the defined conceptual direction to be found elsewhere on the album.

60
The Skinny

The sound of In Ferneaux is impeccable, but it might be more impactful with clearer structure. Ideas disintegrate before developing, awkwardly blending into the next, leading to occasionally aimless moments.

60
The Observer

In an age of Spotified homogeneity, it’s the very definition of niche, but makes for admirably – and enjoyably – singular listening.

60
Record Collector

Even without the dynamism of Power's best work, In Ferneaux maps out its emotional extremities with expansive, expressive force.

CLJesse
55

This was probably an awful starting point for Blanck Mass, because I am hearing none of the creativity or greatness I've heard their past releases be praised for. In Ferneaux, while lush and beautiful at points, is utterly uninteresting and swiftly sinks into the background. The two twenty minute tracks do not justify their runtime in the slightest; the forty minute runtime drags like a motherfucker. If y'all could give me a better album to get into this artist with, it would be vastly ... read more

Houdanny
57

Another one of my most highly anticipated released for the first leg of 2021, Blanck Mass have been responsible for some of my favourite electronic records in the second half of the 2010's. World Eater and Animated Violence Mild contained these wild and unforgiving deconstructed club bangers that saw heavy rotation from me. The blend of euphoric synths and dense pounding production was a winning recipe that spawned huge bangers like "Rhesus Negative" and "House vs House", ... read more

ShoegazeJake
90

A dark ambient post-electronic trip through the desert, and into SPACE. F L U S H

70

Yeah cool.

holsgr
40

acceptable (★★☆☆☆)

frenchiedog
81

In Ferneaux… Oh like “inferno”!? Okay… Fuck Buttons’ John Benjamin Powers has created their own legacy with their Blanck Mass solo project, expertly weaving together elements of techno, industrial, ambient and power noise into one bubbling… Fiery… Well, y’know… Their 2017 album World Eater is an absolute beast of loud beats, chaotic rhythms, glittering synths and even screaming vocals, resulting in an experience that very much sounded ... read more

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Track List

1Phase I
21:29
72
2Phase II
19:33
69
Total Length: 41 minutes
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Added on: January 11, 2021