_Consumed_ is the latest album produced by Richie Hawtin under the
pseudonym Plastikman. Though Hawtin sticks with his traditional minimal
style, the sounds on this album are much different from those on the
previous two. There are more textures echoing around the ever-present
beats. The tracks are slower, more menacing, and at times even ambient.
"Contain" sets the tone with brooding, reverberating bass and hypnotic
clicks and beats. On "Consume" two notes alternate like an out-of-control
locomotive. They seem to speed up as more sounds build, and the image in
my mind shifts to a conveyer belt in a factory assembly line. "Cor Ten"
picks up on the same theme, after "Passage (In)" provides a brief
interlude.
"Ekko" has an underwater feel to it. While listening, I feel like I'm
lying on the ocean floor, staring up at the flickering lights reflecting
off the interface. Hawtin uses another simplistic pattern of shifting
bass notes, and then sonar notes kick in among swirling taps. My favorite
track, "In Side," plays with the same type of mesmerizing syncopation
present at the end of Hawtin's _Mixmag Live!_ set.
This album is best listened to straight through. All of the tracks adhere
to a similar theme, but the overall effect is satisfying. I've always
been a fan of Hawtin's subtlety, however. I like to listen to this album
from a room adjacent to the one containing my speakers, or while I'm
lying in bed with my headphones on. Like all Plastikman material, the
tracks grow on me. This is good stuff.
Jacob Arnold
--
Crossfade: <
http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/>
Music reviews and more.
The IDM Ring: <
http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/idmring.html>
Your guide to Intelligent Dance Music on the Web.