The distinction between so-called “electronic music” and other kinds of pop/folk music has always been a bit of a line in the sand. The extremes are easy enough to point out – the Beatles are not electronic music, Autechre are – but somewhere in between, with artists sampling live performances and musicians applying digital recording technology to their own work, things get much more muddled. Spiritualized remix LFO. Oval gets released on a label alongside indie bands. That all seems pretty glorious from where I’m sitting, listening to Forgetabout, the beautiful debut album by Qua.
With its gentle chiming sounds, field recordings, and guitar parts, I could imagine Forgetabout, going down well with fans of older Kraut rock outfits such as Ash Ra Tempel, Cluster or even the very earliest, pre-Autobahn Kraftwerk. At the same time, there are many very contemporary sounds and details that should appeal to fans of recent electronics. Anyone who enjoyed Greg Davis’s Arbor (Carpark) would surely find plenty to be happy with here.
As a whole, the album is quite meditative and dream like, the notable exceptions being the bouncy “800×600”, with its fun electo beat and voice-like gurgling melody, and the choppy tech-dub of “8tk”, where cheerful slices of guitar are carried by a gentle four on the floor rhythm.
“8tk” is one of several tunes on Forgetabout where the influence of Mouse on Mars shows through. “Monkey Sleep”, “Robot Unknown” and “Generating Set” all give a nod (or two) to the wandering dub and distorted melodies Jan and Andi (Mouse on Mars) were creating circa Iaora Tahiti (Too Pure). On the other side of the fence, the washed out guitars of the title track recall Slowdive circa Souvlaki (Creation).
All in all Forgetabout is an excellent debut. Qua covers a lot of ground across 13 tracks, but also holds things together as a whole. Tunes can be focused on at a micro scale, as little contrasting sounds shift the mood repeatedly, or the album can be taken as a whole as a rather psychedelic journey.
