I've been meaning to get a review written for this since the moment I got
it (as TeeP well knows) and at last here it is.
Label: General Production Records
Cat No: GPR LP2 (?)
Artist: Beaumont Hannant
Title: Basic Data Manipulation (Tastes and Textures Vol.2)
Released: Late last year (?)
Formats: 2xLP CD
Tracks: A1 basic dialog
A2 sYm-phon5
B1 SySex
B2 t-gh6493
C1 sc 931
C2 lude
C3 anoki
D1 the hunted
D2 dei-form
I'll say straight off that this is an excellent *pure* techno album in the
sense of Autechre's _Incunabula_ or BDP _Bytes_. Only a few of the tracks
would go down well on a dance floor, it's all a bit too subtle for that.
It's no surprise then to learn that Hannant is rumoured to be producing a
LP for Warps AI2 series.
The double LP (on *excellent* hiss and crackle free vinyl. Warp take note :)
kicks off with a track that will buzz round your head for days, simple in
construction 'Basic Dialog' just *is* Basic Data Manipulation, you can
imagine the bytes whizzing around to this one. It has quite a Autechrey
sounding durp noise that burrbles away, whilst a confident bang bassline
wings in and out.
The comparison with Autechre is quite valid; only Hannant has done to
their sound exactly what I would have done, beefed it up a bit, harder
heavier and a bit more aggressive.
The second track (my favorite) is one of those emotional jobs, the
Autechrey chords are joined by a tear-jerking deep string (cello?) which
wavers about until the break comes in, this morphs into a bassier break and
then it goes stratospheric when the cello turns into a deep subbassy funky
fat synth bit, wobbling the floor boards (and me). Then comes the delicate
Harpsichord bit. After all this is a Symphony (note title).
Flip side reveals a stressed motor noise revving up and down before it
settles and turns into a variation on 'basic dialog', the following
Autechre job has an odd but fitting Hoover sample, chirping cricket things
and an annoying total pause 80% of the way through. Tapers beware, it
caught me out!
The second disc keeps the delicate themes of the first but moves it all up
a gear, if any of the tracks could be spun to crowd, maybe they would come
from this side. 'Sc-931' has my favorite Terrace high hat tushing away
with durp noises, when these great "wahhaaargh" death noises from an arcade
machine sample whizz in, along with worrying distortion blasts. Hard. To
contrast the following, 'lude' - as in interlude - is a SAWIIy drifting
spacey number, like a Alien sound track.
'anoki' visits the BDP camp of drum patterning, with an excellent workout
over an ominous rumble. Over the side to 'the hunted' which has an funky
electric bass guitar bit, another favorite. (Mmmm, I seem to have picked up
worrying affection for REAL instruments. Oh dear.)
The final number is probably the most conventional, a +8 sounding 909y
bass thump with a snare marching on as well, then cut up squiggly bits
appear. This would be on the single of the LP if one appeared. Certainly
has most crossover appeal onto the dancefloor.
If you like to listen to your techno as well as groove to it, this is a
good buy. I look forward to more Hannant stuff.
greg
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