Relax With, Crackling Fire

(Albums the World Forgot #4, 2010)


Relax With, Crackling Fire (1999, Ent. Media Partners)

What is music? Where do we draw the line between what we call ‘music’ and what we call ‘noise’? Over the years many artists have explored the space between these two notions, perhaps none more effectively than legendary duo Relax With’s 1999 opus Crackling Fire. While not their first foray into experimentation - the albums Wind Chimes, Sailboat Journey and Evening Pond all tested the notion of what we define as ‘music’ – no one could have predicted that they were to rewrite the rules completely with their daring 70-minute exploration into the murky depths of pure noise.

Crackling Fire consists of just a single track (the sound of a fire crackling), forcing the listener to experience the work as a whole, start to finish. The concept was not entirely groundbreaking – Crackling Fire owes a large debt to Magic Moods’ pioneering 1994 work of the same name – but Relax With takes the basic crackling-fire template to new levels. For example, the sound of the fire does not start or finish but merely fades in at the beginning and out again at the end, creating the impression that the fire has crackled, and will continue to crackle, for all eternity. Sounds of the fire being stoked every few minutes add a touch of palpable realism, while at the same time raising the haunting question of who is stoking the fire: the listener himself, perhaps? Or some sort of omniscient being, forever doomed to tend to the eternal flames?

Crackling Fire’s remarkable sound has spawned many imitators, such as Call of Nature’s Crackling Fire in 2000 and, more recently, Ross Mayberry’s 2007 Crackling Fireplace – Audio CD with Natural Crackling Sounds in 2007. However, none have captured the raw intensity or uncompromising sound of Relax With’s original masterpiece.

While being too ‘out there’ for most listeners, Crackling Fire has developed a small but loyal following online. “Relaxing” and “very realistic” are just a few examples of the high praise these fans have for the album. Sadly, it seems that Crackling Fire will remain relatively unknown, as the album has recently been discontinued by its manufacturer. If you are lucky enough to own a copy, take good care of it – it is most likely extremely valuable, and I would hate to see your fortune go… up in flames.