(11.10.06) This CD collects all the tracks released back in 2000 on a limited, anonymous vinyl release, plus three extra goodies. Since the very first track (“Flower”) it’s clear that you’re listening to what most people identify as IDM in its purest form. “Square” reminds me of the first Black Dog and Autechre records on Warp, for its dreamy ambient background and the use of muffled bleepy beats. I’m not saying that Shapes sounds dated, but there’s a great difference between this material, conceived around 1996, and all the albums post-Fyuti, which are richer, lusher and much more detailed.
There’s another feature that distinguishes Shapes from Soup, and it’s the secondary role of those epic melodies Bola is known for, take for example “Pae Paoe” or “Glink.” This record has a darker setting; “Trapezoid” is cold and obsessive, “Oval” sounds like being trapped in an echo tunnel, and the glacial tones of “Nuclear” float in a minimal environment. You won’t find the warm funk of Voile (under the Jello moniker) neither the chiseled, crystal clear melodies of Fyuti, in favor of a masterpiece of Artificial Intelligence music, that remarks Darrell Fitton’s influence on the whole IDM scene.
There isn’t much more to say really, those who couldn’t afford the ridiculous prices of the vinyl copies floating on the web have been waiting for Shapes to arrive for a long time, so go out and grab a copy, you know you want it.
Shapes is out now on Skam. Buy it at Amazon.com
