An Opal Tapes debut from Michael Vallera of the group Cleared, Distance makes a clear case for just how easily industrial and dark ambience swing between beauty and fear, with more than a wink of the gothic that brings to mind a host of classic cult missives by Lycia, Vidna Obmana, or Maeror Tri. As with the best of those, these works mark the transition between dream and nightmare. Something chilling, perhaps borne of the subconscious's twisted ability to f*** you up, but remaining just out of reach. Subtle perfumes linger in the air and a kind of romantic melancholy spreads, but the overwhelming sensation is of a patient and growing dread.