Certain adjectives seem destined to describe the sound of Rameses III. Words like shimmering and radiant get thrown around often, yet the terms spring up immediately and more appropriately when listening to the warm haze of ambience. The incarnation of their sound and their portrayal is so close-nit that it’s difficult to share the description with any other schlocky noise outfit. Yet this double disc release from Important reveals the structure of Rameses III’s sound and the differentiation from other drone artists remains subtle and basically simple: it’s shocking that a group producing relatively analogous tunes can evoke such a strong emotional response.

Basilica shows off the flexibility of Rameses III and includes five live tracks entitled “Origins,” ranging from 2005 to 2007 with studio sound quality. The other disc features several drone studs like Gregg Kowalsky and Astral Social Club remixing past tracks that range from slow-burning fuzz to shimmeri—well let’s just say the sound stays close to the source. Eventually the tracks all interlock into a continuous wall of sound and warm pulsations of ambience with occasional peaks: delicate guitar plucks gasp for air under flurries of haunting static on the twelve minute opus “Origins IV;” and Neil Campbell of ASC and Vibracathedral Orchestra embeds a cacophony of screams and gnashing of teeth with a vibrantly twisting sonic soundscape on “Tigers in the Snake Pit.” You can visualize, even feel, the music spinning, coiling and uncoiling, and like a news anchor fumbling his diction on live television, every hypnotic electric nuance and restrained tape hiss is exaggerated and magnified under the lens of ambient.

This is drone, sure. But just as they transcend descriptive nomenclature, Rameses III evolves past typical background music and create tunes as perfectly comfortable on a film score as your summer soundtrack. And while Basilica isn’t as varied or complete as past works like Matanuska, it’s still a perfectly accessible record for those curious about Rameses III or minimal ambience in general.

-James Anaipakos