Flextone (RI023)
Ultra-slick production and an eclectic selection of sounds are two of
strengths of the Rather Interesting label. Flextone is no exception.
With his own label, Atom Heart starts right from release #1. The
lush and colorful graphic designs more then compensate for the minimalist
stance of RI's mother label, Fax. There are no hints of
talent-in-infancy here, no suggestions that certain techniques
should be more refined and less archaic sounding. By the time Uwe Schmidt
started his own label in September 1994, he obviously had much musical
experience and a well-formed idea that here in his completely self-created
forum, would he perform and exhibit everything he learned from releases on
so many previous labels. No genre or style is spared, no production
strategies left idle.
01-alaska: The name of the first track suggests a vast and chilled
domain. This is a house track to hear. A solid 4otF pumping bassdrum is
the foundation for sticky, morphing handclaps, a funky snare, and
synthesized Fizz-Wizz candy pops. A simple yet playful melody completes a
collection of oddly chosen sounds for a kickin' house stomper. Despite all
these aural oddities,
"alaska" is still somehow archetypical and iconic in nature. Call it a
well-spent 5'55''.
02-flextone B: Songs like these are part of the reason people are driven
to collect hundreds upon hundreds of records. Some songs are so purely
satisfying that they seem transparent, as if their coded vibrations speak
directly to the emotional centers, bypassing completely anything in the
way of their message. And the message here is complete musical
contentment. A "must-hear" if you will. Wonderfully layered, those who
appreciate "Plexus Solaris" from Zenith would really dig this track
which shares a similar melody pattern, but from a lumbering rhythmic
perspective.
03-afterwords, i felt better: The title suggests the theraputic
approach, with cyclical drones and a colorfully sequenced combo of
hi-hats and distorted rims. The overall effect shows kinship to Orange
[monochrome stills], Cymatic Scan, or parts of Flashback Signal without
the beats.
04-rather abstract: Flextone's resident Atom Heart noodler. And this
is not meant to be a put-down. Here, the theoretical sound is captured
with clicks, a hi-hat that sounds like sequenced tinnitus, and occasional
static bursts all mapped onto a steady, mid-tempo 4otF. Begins and ends
with suspenseful synth riffs.
05-sound: Reminds me of the track "Home Sweet Home" from Softcore.
Very clinical... hold still, the master is at work. Various pulsations
are forced through filters that give the effect of brightening and dulling
the sounds at smooth, alternating intervals. Definitely stirs up the
overall flow of the album.
06-instant replay: A common track title among ambient
psychedelicacies. It's packed with crazy twiddly noises, schizoid
hi-hat chirps, and a 303 that sounds like it inhaled some helium before
coming into the studio. Sort of in the Bitniks vein, assorted choppy
percussive segments and wierd glitchlike synth spasms galore.
07-FLE: Has that fishtank feel: slow moving giants floating here
and there.... migrating. Unidentifiable, yet definitely in the vicinity.
About 90 seconds into it and what's this?! Yes, it's a lumbering house
rhythm that comes forth! No mistakin' it. The free feeling I associate
with housey beats collides with a mysterious background wash unwilling to
reveal its true nature. How he gets two incompatable styles like this to
work is truely amazing. Salient, trickley water droplets give the
impression that your headphones are sweating, or perhaps dripping with
early morning dew.
08, 09: These songs don't have any titles on the CD, but are certainly
worth hearing. Don't want to give all the surprises away do we?!
10-untitled: For me, the album's most challenging track. A pulsating
rhythm stirs up a handful of clean bleep-bloops and what sounds like
sampled mome-rath mating calls. You know, from Alice....
Also available as a double vinyl set.
complete graphics available on will-e's RI site:
http://www.hyperreal.org/music/labels/rather_interesting/info/flextone.html
no@h
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