IDM - Threads CD
Our Listowner,s baby, subject off less discussion than might have
been expected, but also of a favourable review by Mixmaster Morris in
this months MixMag. Track by track then:
Quanta - Space
Tinsel trimmed whipped cream, with a strange "going nowhere" kinda
structure, but I rather like the way it goes nowhere in particular.
Some of the synth tones have a watered-down Autechre (circa Amber)
fell. Very much on the ambient tip.
Lee.Fogel - Interstellar
This track seems to indicate a love of vocal sounds in its composer,
the main sounds are vocal pads and theres some real vocals too, sort
of monk-type chanting. And some frogs get a look-in too along with
some Jam&Spoon-like phone-tones and some nice murky bass synth and
minimal percussion. All very muted.
Induction - Dusk
so far, so ambient (surprisingly too). Muted beatss and an acoustic
guitar pull along an ambient soundscape which builds to a moody
atmospheric electronic epic.
Seofon - Scharae
This one picks things ujp with an upbeat number , around 150bpm with
an electroey break which later takes on board the beat used in SL2's
"on a ragga tip" for those who know it (I'd like to know where this
break originated - maybe Seofon knows?). Another nice vocal pad on
this one, and some squelchy noises, this is both frantic and mellow
at the same time, quite an achievement.
DAC Crowell - N. Am. Skywave
The epic of the compilation, a rumblimg 3-time beat with a really
tasty mutating hi-hat has all manner of squeaks, clonks and orb-like
melodic lines woven in and out of it, plus snippets of radio
interference and voices, reflecting the title. Overall feels very
orblike to me, in a twisted way, and MM very rightly compared it to
Air Liquide in his review.
Tempest - Source Safe
While remaining on the mellow tip, this has a more techno feel to it
than the preceding tracks, with dark spacey backdrop and tight
metalic percussion. And there's a tone (and the overall key) which
reminds me of Autechre's "Basscadet".
TV-99-AD - Mother G
A highlight of the disc, a very accomplished piece of
Detroit-influenced funky intelligent techno. Clearly the right
equipment has been used in the right way to get a crystal clear
sound, but it takes more than that - the inspiration to make a
stunning track.
Xigma-Phi - Tam Tam
The end of the CD nears and it's wake-up call time after the mellow
sounds of the earlier sections. Another stunning track, more on the
techno tip again with some big bashing drums and a very clear and
incisive sounds
Artificial Paradise - Godwater
Waves lap the shore, voices and tom toms drift down on the wind, and
some KLF-ish vari-speeded guitar sounds and "stranger on the shore"
like sax snippets give an Orb (circa UF Orb) or KLF-Chill Out feel,
or even FSOL in their more ambient moments. Then half way through you
find that you've been listening to the intro for five minutes as a
big beat starts up rather suddenly and gives the track a funky
underpinning which alters its character quite radically as the acid
box intensifies and the waves subside. Eventually it all fades away
to nothing again
To sum up then, this really comes across as more of an ambient (but
not entirely beatless) CD with 2 or 3 tougher IDM tracks thrown in.
The age of the tracks counts against them in this respect, as there's
been a lot of development in the IDM world in the 18 months or 2
years since these tracks were actually committed to tape. Nonetheless
its a quality comp which has stood up to repeated listenings and is
well worth the outlay if you appreciate the more ambient side of
idm-ey things.