by François CoutureHypnotikum II is the last installment in a short series of LPs by Maëror Tri. While the first appeared on Soleilmoon, this one was released by the Greek label Poeta Negra, in collaboration with the magazine Absurd. The four untitled tracks were recorded in the studio with prepared loops the group used during its 1996 European concerts. All tracks feature dense, thick textures of electric guitar. An insistent pulse and some looped elements give the music a strong mechanical, industrial feel, while the ethereal sounds of E-Bowed, echoed, and flanged guitars fill the higher spheres, inviting the listener to journey into his inner self at his own risks -- bleak is the perfect word to describe the music. The textures are somewhat lighter in "Part 3," more eerie as sounds like bowed metal are mixed in. All the pieces tend to be slightly overlong -- even the decision to let the music evolve slowly does not entirely justify their d...