Score: 7/10
Rothko's list of previous releases makes an impressive read and an even more impressive listen. Having been involved with artists such as Four Tet and Caroline Ross, Londoners Rothko have certainly kept themselves busy. Their last full-length release was 2005’s Distant Sounds of Summer, an inventive collaboration with electronic lothario Susumu Yokota. Two years on, the group's new album, Eleven Stages of Intervention, is a clear indicator of their prowess. The album's composition is similar to Rachel's, in the respect that every note is so neatly wound together that there's never a misplaced silence or a reliance on drones because, in the first place, there isn’t any filler material included. Although this new release isn't as confrontational and hypnotic as 2005's effort, their interesting use of instruments, comprising of (amongst others) a harmonium and two basses, means that the album has the qualities of an ambient record but never drifts into obscurity.
Amusingly, the album includes song titles that have an air of self-help quotes about them. "Weather Every Storm" and "Break the Cycle of Sorrow" could have come straight from the pages of Chicken Soup for the Soul, but this is where the similarities between Rothko and self-help stories end. "Weather Every Storm" is a journey from the realms of Múm musicianship to chaotic, heavy, and almost claustrophobic drumming, which in turn morphs into piano reminiscent of Library Tapes' Alone In The Bright Lights of a Shattered Life. The album includes songs that are able to successfully slide from drifting, dreamy pieces such as "Place a Star up in the Sky" to tracks such as "Say Something to Someone" which incorporates a string-tinged ending that The Mile End Ladies Strings Auxiliary just wish they could have composed. Another example of this would be the seamless combination of electronic beeps and bass-lines, which can be found on the second track, "Give.Every.Thing." Opening with melancholic-tinged electronics and closing with a bleak but beautiful piano, the track shows how quickly the group can transform a composition from one extreme to another. It isn't surprising that the quartet are capable of such creations, having been around in various forms for nearly a decade, Eleven Stages of Intervention is beyond any doubt, yet another affirmation of Rothko's ability.
However, parts of the record aren't particularly enthralling and at its worst, the album becomes slightly dull. In the same way that Amiina's previous efforts have been described as "lifeless," the listener can bond best with Rothko when they're so busy they don't have to pay attention to every note. Although this is only a small fraction of the album, songs such as "Sit in Silent Thought" (unlike the title would suggest), work best when providing an atmospheric backdrop to other actions and ideas. This isn't wholly negative though, because if the LP can switch from being the driving force in the listener's life to the backseat of their thoughts, then it becomes a creation that transcends moods.
Rothko may have a wealth of back-catalogue material that could leave newcomers to the band drowning in a sea of choices, but Eleven Stages of Intervention is a perfect example of what they concern themselves with. Which, in case you hadn’t already noticed, is remarkable music.
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