(01.21.05) The cover art of Plat’s new album Compulsion takes me to a time when some of
us out there dug through endless amounts of records until one caught your
eye and you took a gamble on if the music was just as good. In my case, it
was the artwork of 23 Envelope and the music of 4AD that brought me to the
moment when this disc arrived in the post and made me wonder if the gamble
would end up in my favor or a sour bust. Vibrant watercolors spill off the
hi-glossy print and a clever typeface reveals the contents just waiting to
be heard. And, much like that first experience with 4AD, the music is
perfectly matched with the gallery it’s presented in.
Arnar Helgi Adalsteinsson and Vilhjalmur Pálsson have gone on record as
stating that Plat’s music “is the result of countless happy accidents
combined with carefully planned chaos.” You can hear the evidence as soon
as “Pæling (Muse)” begins lumbering its way from nothingness to a random
collage of pops, snipped feedback and a dash of guitar for flavor. “Flökt
(Shiver)” continues on the path of randomness that takes a left turn into a
jazzy Roots-style hip-hop jam session on “Aftur (Recurrence) Fakemix.”
After the experimental swordplay of “Trainers” fades, “Ástand (Dualism)”
sets the standard for anyone interested in developing a glitchy progressive
sound with warbling guitar, beautiful keyboard and crunchy drums that goes
down smooth on headphones.
“Plat” sounds like a slow-moving abstract waltz danced in the confines of a
cold ballroom decorated with stabs of bright synths that color the air,
while “Kverkatak (Stranglehold)” is hot and humid with bluesy guitar and
organ ready for their close-up in a big screen urban mystery. After the
various guitar textures showcased on “Hverfandi (Vanish)” fade, “Blindfold”
test-drives familiar IDM synth tricks, but with more of an organic flair
since Plat do not use sequencers. Finally, “Árátta (Compulsion)” takes an
ascending cavernous journey that builds with intensity before slowly
quieting into silence, a fitting end for an excellent listen.
There must be something in the water besides fluoride in Iceland. With
contemporaries like Múm, Sigur Rós and Björk, Plat have succeeded in adding
to this alluring mystery by creating an impressive debut, and I won’t be
surprised if they let us hit the jackpot again and again with the rest of
their future catalog.
Compulsion is out now on Unschooled Records.
