An aptly-titled release that baffles and delivers on all fronts—the unique, hard-hitting range of (e)motion supersedes expectation as Carbinax one-ups himself with each release.
Carbinax continues to expand the experimental electronic horizon, offering his latest assemblage Above And Beyond—a hefty 26-track album and remix collection spread across 2-CDs that has been in constant rotation around these parts. Carbinax shows no signs of slowing down—and just when I thought there would be a plateau, the Belfast artist (formerly known as 2ndMouse until 2016) continues to ascend with sonic vigor.
And yet it’s difficult not to hear parallels as Carbinax crafts brightly colored, next-level glitch/IDM landscapes that are upbeat, enlightening, and highly contagious. These parallels merge the now classic melodic tenancies of Plaid with the percussive punctuation of Brothomstates and Funckarma from the early 2000s. Not only that, but Plaid also happen to deliver a remix of the already excellent (and personal favorite) “Tiger By The Tail” via a drone-infested alteration. Almost as if not sure what to do with the original—and perfectly executed—electronic slice of life, Ed and Andy stretch “Tiger By The Tail” through a wall of sweet noise, the original musical strands slowly dissolving, and yet it remains a baffling audio collage. Tracks like “Walking In My Shoes,” “Fracture,” “High Jinx” (as well as the powerful abstract-glitch-electro version by Humanoid), and the Carbinax remixes tend to make this collection a mind-bending voyage that never seems to end. Not to mention the stellar remixes by Dn Fnckn (of Funckarma), Monoform, and Weld—Above And Beyond is an aptly-titled release that baffles and delivers on all fronts. The unique, hard-hitting range of (e)motion supersedes expectation as Carbinax one-ups himself with each release.
There are just so many highlights to expound upon, that it’s probably best to simply head over to the Bandcamp page and enjoy the music (or purchase its limited to 100 DVD-CD package) for yourself!
Above And Beyond is available on Touched Music.
