Funeral Mute is a project from the mind of Charles Harrigan, who creates atmospheric soundscapes that either sound as claustrophobic as paranioa, or as open as optimism can be. Volume I (HiHatHokum) is a six-song (or six-piece) voyage into the unknown, as the listener is awash in synthesized world mixed in with occasional natural sounds. Some of it is rhythmic, others are about the moment and trying to find time between space, and by saying that it is very experimental but not improvisational (every song was put there or done in a sequence for a reason). It's an audio movie that begins in grand form, drums rolling to meet up with the big sound of synths before you are brought in to Harrigan's world. It is like an audio movie, and while you could pick apart each piece, it is best to sit and take a keep listen to this. Sounds go in and out of each other, or one sound leads to another which in turn leads into something quite unexpected, I found myself walking on the journey and wondering what was coming up every step of the way. The fact that "Flowers & Fountains", the final piece, sounds positive is probably not a coincidence, and while one can imagine the blue in the sky and the river below, and the warmth of the sun on the face, one wants to find the path back to the entrace to take on the journey again. Funeral Mute will definitely be appreciated by fans of Lustmord.