A couple of longish reviews for you to peruse...
Influx "Far From Falling" EP on Rising High - RSN89
Gescom EP on SKAM records
First, Influx, the latest from James Bernard, now back from Sapho to
parent Rising High.
Kicks off with the title track, starting like background music from a
corny James Bond scene set in Saudi Arabia, until Whomp! a hefty
syncoopated rhythm then a chunky bass kick in.
Continuing through an ambient breakdown which is brought back to life
by a different 4/4 beat, before taking a more sinister turn. Finally
a blippy little melody jumps aboard and carrys the track to its
ambient conclusion. If that sounds crammed, then in a way it is, but
the track works very well - the various episodes keep the track alive
without causing the listener to lose the thread.
Unfortunately the second track "For the love of Fruit" sounds
asthough it was created from the formula which created the first
track, but ends up less successful. Theres the same build, breakdown
and change of rhythm, but it sounds predictable after hearing "Far
from Falling". Plus the beat gets one-dimensional, and the track
lacks soul
Flipping for "Pulse Check", an eerie alien echo invites us into a
world of machines. A blippy fizzy rhythm is added to the weird
sounds, before a tasty Autechre-style synth joins the melee. A 4/4
kick drum then draws us gradually from the alien-machine world to the
dancefloor. But now what? someone is fade-mixing to a new swimmy
synth and a third rhythm. A piano makes a deft entrance, somehow
detached, yet somehow integrated. Yet another rhythm, this one
syncopated, kicks in, before the aliens return to recapture us. By
now, disoriented by this rapid series of episodes, we are unable to
resist.
Track 4 is "End". Retaining the episodic style of the others, but
longer and so more relaxed, and also more relaxing in content, it
takes more time to develop. A slow dubby intro leads to a fairly
energetic track, but the overall state is of trance, and even
listening to it twice more I got distracted from trying to review it,
into just letting it wash over me. The only thing I was able to write
was "A cosmic bullfrog and the sound of PEte Namlook cutting his
hedge" Hmm.
So a good-ish EP, the first and last tracks are the best, the other
two are perhaps a little cold and soulless. However it really pales
when compared to :
Gescom. A collaboration between Autechre, Darrell Fitton and Rob Hall
(is he one of the Robs named on the sleeve notes of Incunabula?)
This even looks different. Wrapped in a white record mailer, with the
words SKAM and GESCOM stamped in grey. Inside is a piece of
photocopied paper bearing the words "No information at this moment in
time", and the record.
Track 1, "Dan One" is the sound of a robot invasion. Equipped with
malfunctioning modems and dentist drills, and assorted other hi- and
lo-tech equipment, they march relentlessly across the barren
landscape.
2. "Five". Named after its time signature, this beautiful track is
the culmination (thus far) of Autechres attempts to engage and
confuse their audience with extraordinary rhythms. It should be said
that this probably represents input from Darrell Fitton - His
"Metalurg" track from AI2 (limited free 12") is in non-tripleted 9/8
time. Although lacking any real melody, and having little in the way
of structure (in common with many Autechre tracks) this track is a
great success. The weird effects employed at the end provide a
fittingly strange ending.
Track 3 "Cicada" sounds like it could have dropped straight off AI2.
Strange bursts of quiet white noise, and some harmonised vocal-type
tones combine with a gentle bumpy beat to create a wonderful calming
hypnotic effect. But something dark is happening too. Backward
bass-tones and weird clonks ad drones make this akin to some of Leo
Anibaldi's work, though without the madly pounding beat he usually
employs. The crazy bleeping outro breaks the mood in a rather
incongrous manner, I think the track might be better without it.
Finally, "Sciew Spoc" is an almost crazy jumble of filmic effects,
electronic zaps, echoes of dub, and muted voices. Maddeningly complex
in places, simply beautiful in others, and utterly compelling
If you ask me, this is where its at. This is the mutt's nuts.
J
^
James Skilton aka Steady J - jamess@firefox.co.uk
^---+
What's in the basket?
My Brother!