A fresh if not utterly unheard-of sound, combining in dynamic equilibrium a rich tradition of glitch and house and melodic electronica, which works especially well on the handful of tracks he shares with spotlight singers Katrin deBoer and BRAIDS.
Belfast-born and raised Max Cooper sounds like a really interesting character. He holds a Ph.D in computational biology, in simulating life, in other words, but left the field when the funding ran out, dedicating his full energy to software sequenced dance music, singles and EPs featuring the likes of the very smart “Meadows.” His live show and deejaying has earned him accolades and his path has crossed interdisciplinarily with architects, animators and appreciative art councils. He has remixed the works of Nils Frahm, Michael Nyman and Ólafur Arnalds, composers beyond the usual bailiwick of the dancefloor producer.
Human marks his long-playing debut. It was intended as a series of sketches, inspired by dance, glitch and dub as much as Philip Glass and Tim Hecker. “[T]he power of music,” he explains, “is in the boundaries, the changeovers.” Much like biology, no? Learning as he goes, Cooper credits his academic work with teaching him about communication. If I may swipe an idea about convergence identities from Prof. Yacov Sharir on the interaction of avatars and humans (insofar as electronic music is generated by electrical rather than physical impulses), Cooper’s music opens for the observation and analysis of a wide variety of relationships, expanding our understanding of “sound as content” as well as context.
He has a fresh if not utterly unheard-of sound, combining in dynamic equilibrium a rich tradition of glitch and house and melodic electronica, which works especially well on the handful of tracks he shares with spotlight singers Katrin deBoer and BRAIDS. The Hecker influence can be easily detected on “Seething” and softening the mood, he truly sparkles on a more laidback piece like “Empyrean.” Perhaps it tails off a bit at the end, unless we see it as an ambi-exit.
Human is crossfit electronic music sure to promote good health. Not like a workout tape, it won’t give you rock hard abs, but it works miracles on the shape of the mind. It refreshes the brain cells and changes the spark plugs in your synapses. You feel smarter for listening to it. You also feel utterly entertained, guided through a gallery of highly intelligent work by an extremely well-informed guide.
Human is available on Fields.
