They could be big names, they could be little names, they could be big names trying to be little or little names perfectly emulating big names. We just don’t know, and whether you should care or not is really up to you to decide.
Injecting a little fun into the proceedings
[Press Release by Alexander Shum] It’s hard to remember a time when Touched Music wasn’t around, a time when compilations were dour and bland, seemingly with no direction or purpose. Now in its fifth year, the charity label continues to startle us with releases of epic quality and skill. Covert 3, the third compilation that anonymous artists, is no different. It’s that time of year when Touched injects a little fun into the proceedings and keeps everyone on their toes—let the guessing begin! They could be big names, they could be little names, they could be big names trying to be little or little names perfectly emulating big names. We just don’t know, and whether you should care or not is really up to you to decide.
As usual I am torn. Half of me doesn’t care who wrote a given piece and attempts to drag myself away from the cult of celebrity, thankful for both new music and the cause that it stands for. The other half just can’t help but think about who this could possibly be, the analytical part of my brain going overdrive as it struggles to match up old musical memories with those newly-created as I listen. Electronic music has always posed an analytical challenge, arguably richer in emotive responses thanks to the possibilities that modern sound design techniques offer us. It’s also easy to get caught up on where you may have heard a particular sample before, whether it is in fact a sample or something freshly-synthesized, and where you might have heard that sound before—even if just for a fraction of a second. It’s infuriating yet liberating at the same time.
A murky analog beginning
If you can get past all of that, the Covert releases have always been a good exercise in releasing yourself from any pre-existing schema and attempting to experience music in its most pure form—simple audition and response, away from preconception and assumption. I must admit however that it’s an exercise I often fail at and it’s a skill I have yet to master. Given the variety present it’s hard to talk about everything but there are some definite highlights. “November Air” introduces us, its murky analog beginning leading to a clear path ahead with even vocal samples and an air of public information videos. It’s immediately counterpointed by “kr ms+800,” displaying snappy cut-offs and interleaving melodies, this could easily have come from a Warp release. It’s got that half-bar hi-hat signature punch of everyone’s favorite Cornish pasty that fits in beautifully. All of a sudden I have the urge to play with a box of teeth. I could listen to “Squidge” for hours. Anyone familiar with the Jam Radio Show would appreciate how fitting it would sound behind some screwed-up Chris Morris poetry. If “Radiocarbon Dating” was any more electronic it would be an actual robot singing to you, it’s fantastic.
The longest piece on the release, “Ably Rededicated,” is nice and plucky and its length is welcome, and it’s beautifully-structured to boot. This is in massive contrast to what immediately follows—”The Pareto Principle” is so broken that it pretty much goes full-circle and manages to mend itself. The happiest few minutes of my month have been when listening to “Serum,” it’s so uplifting and it doesn’t get more joyful than this. I’m 90% certain who this might be but just like most of my guesses I bet it’s wrong.
An immersive experience
My personal favorite has to be “Carbon Puos.” There’s a lot going on here and the style is an incredible emulation of one of the more famous artists out there. Whoever did this has done an incredible job with its immersive experience and constant change. This is a true example of call and response, one might say it “draqks” you in and spits you out.
As with many of the recent Touched releases, Covert 3 is a smart-looking thing. Once again beautiful artwork adorns the case—this time a half-size DVD case containing two discs that just looks neat and pure future. 233 of these will be available as well as the digital edition. All proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Support—any good feelings you experience are of course thrown in free of charge.
Covert 3 is available on Touched Music.
