The Miles Tilmann 12″ in the 3D Concepts trilogy was always going to be a hard act to follow and sadly, neither of the subsequent entries quite manage it. Loess’ entry in the trilogy is a subdued but often rhythmic invention that’s simultaneously beautiful and strangely bland.The metronomic tick-tick of the rhythm on “Sofar” is an ingenious way of giving the rather drifting, defocused atmospheric whisperings and clouds of sound forward momentum and this theme is carried forward into “Viscer” with it’s reversed keys, plucked strings and, later in the track, majestic pads and reverbed chimes. At its midpoint it dissolves into a haze of fed-back, half-heard sounds bound together by droning sci-fi washes.
The flip side is better, “Alt.Tone.Two” expressing the content of the track very well. A mildly distorted dub-bass thumps behind a constant drone with pizzicato strings studding the track along with scraping, metallic samples and stuttering percussion.
“Sixt” is probably the best and most hypnotic track on this release as delicate clicks and pops flutter over sine-waving pads and fluted bursts of melody that again dissolve into warm, flowing pads.
The problem with this EP is that it’s precisely “okay.” It doesn’t feature the inspired, labor-of-love production values and depth of atmosphere as the Tilmann 12″ and it isn’t a derivative, dreary and alienating work like the Low Profile Society 12″ (see review below). A shame, as the 3D Concepts idea held great promise.
This inoffensive release is available on gorgeous, starburst-marbled translucent orange vinyl only and is housed in the plastic carrier bag supplied with the third and final part of the trilogy.
The final part of Toytronic’s 3D Concepts trilogy is an album by Low Profile Society and, whilst it’s the longest 12″, in the series it is also the least successful. Designed as a series of ambient releases this part features a mix of beats-led tracks and totally ambient, droning pieces all with a similar frosty and rather alienating character.”In” features cold, high-pitched and rather piercing pads and washes that clash and then merge to form an unpredictable ensemble melody. “Example 2” is a simple drone track placed over a muted bass-drum and skittering clicks and chatter all heavily cloistered in reverb. “Example 3” is a hushed, almost B12-like loop with wind-swept ambience absent mindedly thrown in to the mix. It’s all rather generic and uninspiring, containing little melodically to cling to, nor anything particularly involving or complex in either its production or sense of place. The flip side improves things a little.
The deep-forest clatter of branches and engine hum that form the very short “Example 5” is followed by “Example 6” (they’re clever, these titles, aren’t they?) that actually impresses with it’s nicely evocative theme, again brought to the fore using high-pitched, almost whining pads, and thick, rich atmospheric layers which disappear as mysteriously as they surface. Interrupted mid-way by a foghorn of noise which forms a bass-melody, this is a fog-enshrouded, almost glacial piece. “Example 7” returns to a more traditional IDM structure with slowly building complexity forged from clattering sampled percussion and layered synth washes. By the time you reach the inspirationally titled “Example 8” you could be forgiven for wondering what the point of this LP is. Haunted winds and chimes resonate with little direction or impact, its passionless chill becoming rather too alienating and flat to engage with. The LP is rounded “Out” with echoing computer bleeps and miscellaneous other supposedly chilling sound sources that again fail to bring enough thought or production value to the table to keep it particularly rich or entertaining. The whole is so bland and unsubtle as to overwhelm the moments of genuine interest on this LP. Yes, all right, it’s a foray into the realms of chilly ambient music. WE GET IT, ALREADY. Trying desperately to be as much like Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works LPs as it possibly can, there is sadly almost nothing “3D” about this LP whatsoever. Appearing on lovely starburst-marbled, translucent blue vinyl and housed in a custom-printed plastic bag designed to hold all three parts of the 3D Concepts trilogy, this lackluster release sadly fails to conjure any real interest and doesn’t live up to the promise of the first release in the series by Miles Tilmann.
The 3D Concepts 12″ Triology is OUT NOW on Toytronic Records.
