A plethora of field recordings, decomposed percussion, and a mysterious sonic space that unravels with each rotation.
I’ll admit up front that I (unfortunately) missed out on much of German electronic act Air Liquide as Red (Sm:)e Communications, 1995—”Ek-Stasis (NYC Bass Mix),” anyone?—was my only introduction to their muddy downtempo techno strains. I was 18 at the time and had begun to amass quite a collection of what would later become the peak for musicians creating experimental electronic music that dabbled in breaks, techno, acid, and rugged ambient undertones bursting at the seams.
Here we see the duo of Dr. Walker and Jammin Unit continue in their quest to explore otherworldly abstract dub terrain. Have a listen to the flickering bleeps on “Die Singende Saege” as it emulsifies into low-end emissions mixed with dense subatomic turbulence and eerie atmospheric shadows. The title-track (feat. Mary S. Applegate and drums/synths by OMSK Information)—which I utterly remember from Red as “This Is Not A Mind Trip (Temple of Boom Remix)”—starts with drifting psychedelic pitter-patter beats and weaving in the recognizable (and now classic) “This is not a mind trip, this is a body journey!” sample while its broken drums meander through lively corridors of dust, debris, and organized chaos. The track alone is a 9-minute epic of mind-altering broken rhythms—easily setting itself in a class of its own. The cascading wall of gritty noises, eroded samples, and acidic stream of subconsciousness is a welcome retreat. Closing with “Zeitgieber 3,” Air Liquide replenishes their acid-techno account as it slowly transforms from a dance-floor friendly four-to-the-floor behemoth to a devolving glitchy breakdown of all its detuned bits and bytes.
In all, these three tracks have been on repeat since late September and continue to reveal a plethora of field recordings, decomposed percussion, and a mysterious sonic space that unravels with each rotation.
This Is A Mind Trip is available on Intergalactic Research Institute For Sound.
