Auditory Assistance doesn’t rely on any one genre arch, instead, it packs a visceral punch from dark mechanical constructs to lighter IDM bits’n bytes, allowing the imprint to nurture a wide ranging “sound” without pigeonholing itself.
A visceral punch
Forty-two tracks and almost four hours of unfettered electronics, Welsh Modular Alliance and relaunched Photon Emissions (run by brothers John and Paul Healy of Somatic Responses) join heavyweight comp ranks featuring a myriad of dedicated and diligent sonic sculptors from around the planet. With such an assortment of tracks to pick from, Auditory Assistance doesn’t rely on any one genre arch, instead, it packs a visceral punch from dark mechanical constructs to lighter IDM bits’n bytes, allowing the imprint to nurture a wide ranging “sound” without pigeonholing itself.
Standouts come in many different shapes and sizes from BOC-inspired soundtrack-infused compositions courtesy of Andy Peggs, Cult 48, Dust, Mute Group(s), and Vought, to hardened industrial/acid techno swirls via Aeron Heavy Industries, Alec Church, Black Cabin Project, CRT, Darqhorse, Ebcidic, Fire At Work, P_SR, Phil Nova, and Sub Space Distorters. You’ll also find blissful IDM/glitch peripherals thanks to Acidbat, bovaflux, Celine Arnauld, Consumeobeybreed, exm, Keiss, Min-Y-Llan, Somatic Responses, and The Xynomorf. Taking a surreal ambient trek through the woods, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Plastic Skunk Band, Roel Funcken, SA1, and SA18 leave no trace left behind. While distorted electro/noise fragments from Alpturer, BLAEN, Corrado, Darqhorse, Fauxleroid, FFRWD, Repeat Eater, and Snowbeasts persist, downtempo trip-hop forms round out the comp thanks to Hazel Oakwood—a surprising addition that traverses subtle dub echoes and vocal curves. Not forgetting the pixelated drill’n bass breaks from Headloc, Auditory Assistance is a full-throttle collection that simply does not run out of creative fuel.
All proceeds of the sale of this LP will be given to www.mind.org.uk who provide highly valuable support for mental health.
Auditory Assistance is available on Welsh Modular Alliance. [Bandcamp]
