Alto Stratus

About

Alto Stratus, an enigmatic force within the industrial landscape, operated with relentless mechanical precision from 1983 to 1990. Their entire output, a collection of 24 cassette releases under the Auricle and Dark Star labels, is an intricate weave of tape-based soundscapes and dissonant harmonies. The Freemans, Alan and Steve, orchestrated this sonic machinery from behind the scenes, their roles as obscured as the layers of atmospheric drones they crafted. Their early work, like "1984: The End Of All Songs," produced a dystopian aural experience, while "Tachyon" in both its 1984 and 1986 incarnations, demonstrated their commitment to evolving sound through repetition and variation. "Old Wounds Vol.2," a collaboration with Dark Star, added a metronomic intensity to their catalog, capturing the raw essence of industrial decay. By 1989, "The Ritual" emerged as a defining piece of the Auricle sound, a relentless barrage of field recordings and layered textures. The journey culminated in "Tasty Morsels" in 1990, a late-career highlight that encapsulated their functional, yet otherworldly, approach to sound.