V/A :: World Electronix 4 (Cultivated Electronics)

The UK’s Cultivated Electronics is continuing its World Electronix series. After three excellent installments it’s time for the fourth, revisiting some old favorites whilst adding some new names to the CE family.

Up first is a the seriously talented Gerard Hanson. The US artist, also Convextion, is donning his more familiar E.R.P. guise to deliver “Burp.” Hanson has been releasing music for near two decades, and his well honed abilities are on show from the outset. Thick chords are dissected by cutting snares as arcs of computer code float. The track lures you in, E.R.P. sculpting a dreamscape out of glacial sounds. Label boss Sync 24 hooks up with Abstract Forms’ head Deixis for “Ah Ah Ah.” Tough from the get-go, squalid Acid lines are further mutated by a bludgeoning beat and synth spirals. An estranging and grimy piece of Electro from the duo. Plant43 introduces the flip and leaves behind the back alleys. The UK artist builds a glittering city, twinkling sounds echo against walls of bass and analogue avenues before strings descend. Rich, textured and exceptional. Steve Allman closes. Hardware glimmers. Mechanically corrupted vocals are scorched by 90s Electro floor echoes and a firm rhythm arrangement.

After World Electronix Volume 1 I was sure that this series was going in an interesting one. I haven’t been wrong. The fourth installment maintains the quality set by the previous three. E.R.P. and Plant 43 offer works of soulful machine sound, enveloping electronics from these two superb artists. Sync 24 and Deixis serve up a hardy work of floor Electro. Steve Allman takes that dark energy and ups the ante, dishing up a fervent finale. Quality through and through.

World Electronix 4 is available on Cultivated Electronics. [Clone]