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Jean Piaget had an interesting theory about object permanence, the concept that objects still exist despite not being observed. He believed that this was one of an infant’s most important accomplishments, as they could understand that objects had a separate, observable existence. Of course, in the concept of permanence as a whole, nihilism as a philosophy states that nothing has a real existence, even the words that are being written at this moment. In metaphysics, nihilism states that there might be no concrete objects at all, and, if there were, they might not be replaced. This is one of the main concepts Basalte explores on Vertige (“vertigo”), an album that seems to convey the sense that nothing is permanent.
Fin de siècle funèbre, un cadavre tourne le dos au ciel,
creuse vers ses semblables, y cherchant son désespoir.
Vertige starts dissonantly, with random piano notes being played to cover up the sound of the guitar’s feedback slowly creeps from the album. As the guitar gets louder and the piano becomes more atonal, the listener can sense that there is a certain amount of uneasiness and uncertainty that clouds the album’s mood. This is what you will hear for the rest of the album, even as the music lapses into frenzied rhythms that mirror rage and anger. The atmosphere is at work here; even with the blast beats and the howling vocals, it’s the soft, melodic undertones that truly captures the emotions being conveyed. It also adds some interesting tones that act as a cue for the listener to get a sense of what’s going, even with the language barrier. For example, on the song “Acouphène”, there is a persistent ringing that accompanies the song before the main melody fully sinks in. The ringing remains in the background; you can only hope it ends quickly before getting some Advil to cure the headache you can get from the ringing. This is one of the many effect the album has to have the listener completely listen to the album and bask in its story. It also flows well, allowing for the album to play in one smooth sitting, although I don’t think it should be played that way.
Another concept that caught my attention was structural; there are four stories being told on the album. From what happens to a corpse after it has been buried (“Ce que le corps doit au sol”) to the persistent ringing in your ears that leads to sleepwalking and insanity (“Acouphène”), each vignette shows how something can lack permanence. A corpse rots away; the ringing in your ears can be covered by either another sound or, in this case, death; a vial is emptied of its contents; the disappearance of euphoria after the body has metabolized a drug’s effects. This is an album that took the concept of metaphysical nihilism and ran with it, as there is nothing that can replace what has been lost. In the universe the album creates, things sway and change, but lose their permanence. They are abstract and hard to conceptualize, leading to a dizziness that becomes overwhelming. You aren’t fast enough to catch the changes; any sudden movement leads to vertigo, and you are left with the dissonance of it all.
All in all, Vertige is an album filled with a density that requires multiple listens to fully grasp what’s going on. Its concept is highly abstract but understandable, and it requires your full attention. However, choose to selectively listen to parts of the album, and the atmosphere of the album changes. It’s compelling and worth the runtime. Come for the music, stay for the metaphysical nihilism.