Reviewed by Morticia Divine
Underground Press

The Boles Murders - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Viir Exeter composed, arranged and performed the soundtrack to the motion picture, The Boles Murders that premiered at the Lake Arrowhead International Film Festival, in September 2004. Using keyboards, samples and electronics to create an instrumental and classically based, dramatic and mysterious atmosphere, one is almost drawn into the sadness of the story line. Take a look at Viir's other projects on his website.

Oxygen Law - "Le Vestibule"

The second release of Oxygen Law shows a progressive maturing from their previous EP. "Le Vestibule" presents the listener with the haunting and sullen vocals of Viir Exeter and a more voluptuous sound. The highly-strung atmosphere is still the centre point of the music, but elements of Gothic and Darkwave, acoustic violins, guitar, drum machine and sound samples bestow more flesh to the ghost. The album is an obscure symphonic masterpiece!

Oxygen Law - "Arbeit EP"

The "Arbeit EP" is Oxygen Law's first release and features four tracks—just over 36 minutes—of dark and moody Ambient music. Viir Exeter creates gloomy atmospheric music with piano, violin, synths, short wave radio and samples—the perfect soundtrack to a clouded and funereal night in the church graveyard. The sweet and distant sound of bells, bring a tragic melancholy to the sound. As the last moments of the album dies away, the ethereal atmosphere remains within you like a living memory.

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Oxygen Law
Le Vestibule EP
reviewed by Matthew Heilman of Starvox, Philadelphia

Hailing from California, Oxygen Law's most recent EP was an interesting offering to say the very least. I was pleasantly won over by the nostalgic shades of vintage 4AD elements that could be found in the grayed synths and modest electronics of the first half of this EP. The title tracks are pretty cool, the LP version of the song being a bit more punchy than the extended version, but both feature a delightful mix of slow old school drum machines and swirling orchestration. "Perihelion" is perhaps a better and more solid example of what Oxygen Law is capable of. A plodding, tense track that centers around a steady rhythmic pulse, a smooth bass line, and moody male vocals. This track in particular vaguely recalls early Clan Of Xymox, and it is kind of cool that a band is more conscious of atmosphere than BPM's, the way early dark electronic bands were.

And indeed, Oxygen Law is conscious of atmosphere. Citing not only 4AD artists as creative influences, they also site the Brontë sisters and Edgar Allan Poe as musical muses, and indeed the misty moors and stark psychology of those authors cast a favourable shadow over the band. Somewhat in the more 'electronic' friendly tracks but this influence is clearer on the EP's two epic instrumental tracks.

There is an authentic classical darkness that pervades these last two works, the two unlikely candidates I suppose to receive the fond critical attention. Truthfully, these last two tracks were the ones that struck me the most and I feel earns the band some serious investigation. "Intermezzo" is a piece comprised entirely of stark, reverberated piano, with shadows of Chopin and Rachmaninoff, but primarily Franz Liszt. The song shares a similar desolate spirit with the Hungarian pianist's "Totentanz" and "Transcendental Etudes."

The grand symphonic track "Lamentations In A Churchyard " serves as a perfectly suitable finale. Despite being composed and performed with a synthesizer, there is an overwhelmingly authentic air in the effect of this music; it is very dark, very dreary and not so much resembling a cinematic film score as an honest orchestral classical piece. Of course, there are bits of electronics that sneak in to the mix, some ambient storm effects, and a brief section of reverberated vocals, but it is still quite symphonic at heart.

I very much enjoyed what Oxygen Law has to offer, and though I liked their 'gothic dance' offerings, I was moved more significantly by their 'classical gothic' offerings at the end of this disc. I sincerely hope that the band continues to explore both sides of their talent, and perhaps find a way to better bring them together. If it becomes impossible to integrate them, I would suggest these guys start commissioning to do film scores or work with an actual orchestra if it were possible. While the compositions on this CD are admittedly still amateurish when compared to professional concert music performers (i.e. modern day classical composers), Oxygen Law is miles ahead of where other bands claiming to be 'neo-classical' currently linger.

There is some significant potential here, which I think can develop into something that could transcend the trappings of the Gothic genre. Contact these guys and keep an eye out for the upcoming full-length release "Aperture."

Oxygen Law - Arbeit
Mistress McCutchan of Morbid Outlook

Track Listing: Arbeit Macht Frei, Exael, Song of Nations [II], Vacant Nursery.

I thought for sure this would be another synthy industrial act when pulling this from the review pile of CDs, but was gravely mistaken upon the opening bars. The dark deluge of ambience from this three-piece brings Vangelis' brilliant epic Blade Runner soundtrack to mind. The perfect e.p. length and a very good listen all the way through. It makes perfect sense for these three to score a film soundtrack. Gorgeous dark ambience.

Oxygen Law/Arbeit CD
by Azrael Racek of GothicRevue

Track Listing:
1) Arbeit Macht Frei 11.24
2) Exael 6.50
3) Song Of Nations (II) 5.51
4) Vacant Nursery 12.19

Short but sweet is what the first Oxygen Law release is. I had never heard of Viir's band before the beginning of March, and I was sure missing some fantastic non-vocal ambience. Much akin to Brian Eno's earlier output and very similar to Can's as well, this EP is moody and always ends way too soon. Each song flows smoothly into the next song so much that I can't recognize when one finishes and the next begins. This seems to be an EP that was meant to be played from start to finish. Song Of Nations [II] is the most memorable if I have to give merit to individual tracks. You should also look for Oxygen Law's second release which is entitled Le Vestibule (which I will review for May's issue of GothicRevue.) Viir also publishes a Gothic Literary Magazine called Quietus which is currently in its third issue (it's a bit more death metalish then GR.)

Arbeit EP CD:
A still, frozen infinity. Golden haze covering abandoned railways. Rails lead to infinity's nowhereness, switches click emptily, current collectors are the sole luxury of the place. On the right, a figure, a railwayman, you can't quite decide whether he's coming or going. He could do any of them, though he's stuck with the movement, neatly, as it fits the art photograph. This is a picture which fits Oxygen Law's first material. 35 minutes, 4 tracks, melodic dark-ambient, epic soundtrack about walks of war victims, mud and clay, about a cruel and cold blend which sees everything in a way that should not be, sharpness has never hurt more. Noises, wonderful layers, glockenspiel, violins at places. That's the EP, worth 9 points out of ten as there is no 10-point stuff as we know it.

Le Vestibule EP CD v3:
Le Vestibule EP awakens old school 4AD feelings, strong is the parallel with the atmosphere of the Xymox in the three tracks with percussive tracks and Viir's voice. Slower, pulsating tracks which are fit for making love, crashing cars or playing them during torrents - strange it might be but there is much more energy in the instrumental tracks. I would definitely point out Track 4 (Shuttered Room) which is very much like a Die Form - Ukiyo-e cooperation with its sick cradled Japanese syllables. As for the slowly flowing tracks - they're more structured than the lot of today's dark-ambient material, more diversity, perfect timing of slowness - this is what I see the real strength of Oxygen Law in - in the obscure, dark fairytales.

The Band: Oxygen Law
The Site: www.oxygenlaw.com
Type Of Music: Gothic

Summary: Mellow, Calming, Soft Angelic Voices...makes me just sit there and just relax. The kind of music that makes you forget about everything going on around you and whisks you away to la la land. I think this band did a great job and hope they hit it big. We definitely need music like this in this messed up world! You can find more info and music by going to the band's site.

Rating: 9
Note: ratings go from 1 - 10...10 being highest.

Oxygen Law's Arbeit is a four song ep, just over half an hour of oozing,darkly atmospheric tracks with a neo-classical flavour. Primarily pulsing synths with a few bells, drumbeats, and the occasional violin line, Oxygen Law is the project of Viir Exeter who played and wrote all the tracks with a few guests on additional instruments. On his website Viir says his influences come from such gothic writers as Poe and Baudelaire, early 20th century classical composers like Carl Orff, and contemporary artists like Diamanda Galás, Sisters of Mercy, Dead Can Dance, and This Mortal Coil. If you're at all familiar with any of these artists, you should be able to get a good idea of Oxygen Law's sound; the heavy, brooding melancholy of Poe and other such writers combined with the dark, ethereal sounds of 4AD bands like This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance.

Of the four tracks, the first is the most floatily atmospheric and the last,
although still oozy, is the most traditionally classical sounding. In the third track, 'Song of Nations', the synths give way to light (almost cheerful!) piano which is a refreshing change, allowing some space and
lightness into the otherwise dense material. My favourite track on Arbeit is definitely 'Exael'. This track is the most abstract and the most affectively moody song on this disc. 'Exael' begins with low swishing/swooping sounds and slowly layers sliding bass lines and scratchy hisses of sound to a brooding climax.

My main suggestion for Oxygen Law would be to try and incorporate some different sounds and perhaps a bit more in the way of percussion or rhythms. The sections of this disc featuring violin and piano definitely stand out because these instruments have a different and distinct sound. Synthesizers can get a bit monotonous sounding at times and they seldom allow for space within a song. Viir does say on his website that he plans to incorporate more rhythm as well as vocals on future projects; I think this will definitely benefit Oxygen Law's sound.

4 tracks - 35 plus minutes. All tracks written and performed by one man (with added violin and synth on track 1) named VIIR. Sweet stuff, very easy on the ears, with simple, uncrowded sound tracks and music scapes that provide ambiance subtle and unsettling with an impending feel of something dreadful to come. It's like the calm directly before the storm, strong with warning, but peaceful enough to falsely lull a person to let their guard down. It's a very airy, charged atmosphere with the scent of dread, but the comfort of facing it in familiar territory. Meditate experimental with some kind of hybrid between darkwave, neo-classical, and new age modern composition. Very powerful, but not overwhelming, defiantly mood pieces for darkened days.

Oxygen Law has infectious dark gothic electronics that will get buried within your soul. The melodies soar into the darkness of night and your mind. The tracks are at times mysterious, especially "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Extended) where you can create a mental picture in your head while listening. The tracks are haunting, and would be a perfect soundtrack for films. The way the keyboards progress and move around is very cool. The keyboards have a steamy sound, and the touch of church bells within the bellowing sounds brings much creepy delight. The use of the violin also has given the music a touch of magic. "Exael" sounds like you're trapped, and you can hear the outside world banging and blowing winds. It feels like you are alone in the dark, someplace cold, or in the woods. "Song of Nations" has a more sci-fi sound and spacey feel in the beginning. There are many ways we can interpret the songs and that is what makes these songs so rich. So, if your looking for gloomy lurking instrumental work with many twists and turns and keyboard progressions, get your dose of Oxygen Law.- Grave Concerns Mag

My first impression from looking at this disc: haujobb. Within a minute of hitting play, however, I was quite pleased to learn that my initial impression was quite a ways off. Oxygen Law plays very subtle ambient music, with nods towards DCD and other more ethereal goth acts.

The DCD influence is most pronounced on the eleven minute opener "Arbeit Macht Frei (extended)," with distant bells punctuating the billowy synths. "Exael" takes an even softer approach, while "Song of Nations [2]" is probably my favorite track here. It features some very moody piano dabbling, creating a very effective level of creepiness, not unlike a good movie soundtrack. The final cut, "Vacant Nursery," has a much wider, more open feel to it than the others. I like the atmosphere it creates, but at over twelve minutes, it is almost a little too minimal at times.

Oxygen Law have really done themselves proud on this EP. The sound quality and arrangements are superb, especially for a first release. Fans of neo-classical and dark ambient music should definitely seek this one out. More info: http://www.oxygenlaw.com/.