IDM Mailing Archive

quoted 1 line 3. Is Locust everyone's cup of tea? It sounds a bit too weird for my

> > 3. Is Locust everyone's cup of tea? It sounds a bit too weird for my

taste.

quoted 4 lines Yeah, what are they like? I've heard a bit about them but was kind

> > Yeah, what are they like? I've heard a bit about them but was kind > of wondering what kinds of timbres/textures they use as well as their > rhythms.

I think Locust is one of the best, and more ignored, ambient/IDM artists around. He was the next artist that I became fanatical about after I discovered Aphex Twin. Locust's first two albums, as well as the Autocreation side project, have a characteristically dark, deep, organically squelchy sound. Bassy, boomy, fuzzy ... lots of intense processing, sort of sounds like soft distortion. Very moody, very mossy, usually hypnotic. Although the timbres aren't really typical of dance music, the rhythms generally are ... Autocreation in particular has some minimal trance-dance cuts. If you have Excursions In Ambience 2 laying around, you can reference "Prospero" and "Dark Smile" for some good examples. In _Truth_Is_Born_of_Arguments_, Mark totally abandons that sound. Industrial, jazz, and trip-hop(?) influences leak through, all with a dark and disorienting feel. IMHO, it's a mixed bag, but well worth it for the gems. There's also a collaboration with Daren Seymour of Seefeel called _Aurobindo:_Involution_, which is a fantastic album of acid-drone music with a few hyper-minimal rhythmic cuts. Basically, if you're into ambient/IDM like the darker Aphex or Biosphere stuff, I'd highly recommend Locust. Also, Aphex and Locust are the two artists that I usually first introduce to gothic/industrial fans who I'm trying to get into this genre. --Seofon