The mini album Continuity and Discretion shows how fragmented and chaotic the artists’ creative soul is, although a mysterious glitch-panning reverb aesthetic lineage amalgams the whole release.
A mysterious glitch-panning reverb aesthetic
After four self-released audio productions this year, Arizona’s sonic experimentalist Aelk Minsur wraps up with a special surprise via German avant-garde label Kaer’Uiks. The mini album Continuity and Discretion shows how fragmented and chaotic the artists’ creative soul is, although a mysterious glitch-panning reverb aesthetic lineage amalgams the whole release.
The album starts with the slow-paced glitch-hop gem called “Berg 37,” a personal favorite, where its deep fat beats resemble a giant robot walking to finish his human prey. On the video for the track, Weidi Zhang chooses to depict it on a different approach, which takes you directly to an Autechre imagery translation. “Clockworks” changes the tempo rapidly, not only from the previous track, but within itself, switching from fast drills to a constant kick pattern that dictates time. “First Degree in Four Parts” brings back amazing robo-beats on its beginning, then changes radically into a deconstructed dark ambient with lots of reverb and drone sub frequencies.
“AMEX Penthouse” seems to relate with “Clockworks” and the album’s Continuity and Discretion moto, while it brings a certain constant, yet sinister, feel. On the other hand, “Nual Hours” breaks the bad vibes with its subtle but beautiful melody. I love the way Aelk Minsur changes the track’s beat for only one bar in the end, giving the listener the “I want more of that” desire. In general, that change of pace of the beats, accompanied with the background low profile glitchy noises, remind a lot of Lexaunculpt. And complementing even more on turning the energy up, the final piece, XZICD’s remix for the last track (“Nual Hours”) brings nicely chosen glass timbre pads as a notable finishing touch.
Continuity and Discretion is available on Kaer’Uiks. [Bandcamp]
