Almost. The first word that came to mind when listening to Greg Seilers’ debut album on Feral Media was almost. One Into One Out is the obvious result of countless hours of hard work and meticulous attention to detail. The production is crisp, the arrangements well-voiced, and there are moments that will absolutely grab you –if even just for a few bars at a time. However, sometimes those captivating excursions are minutes or even tracks apart; and the overall album seems to be more of an exhibition of a talented craftsman who has yet to settle into his sound, rather than a polished piece.
This 9-track, 34:34 opus begins with a delicate little chorale of cutup answering messages that delightfully reminded me of a sped up excerpt from Spacetime Continuum [circa 1997]. It only lasts for about a minute until it gets overrun by a beat that sounds a bit like a canned preset, and compounded a little later by a pastel-colored 1980’s synth line. It’s not that the execution lacks, but the problem is Seilers doesn’t seem convinced by it either. The rhythmic and harmonic developments throughout most of the album appear to be more out of an obligation to get the sounds and hooks to fit into a pre-determined style. Comatone should trust himself more with playing out of bounds- as his departures and explorations are the highlights of the disc. An excellent example of such a victory is in the track “Scrubber.” While the first half of the track is a fun, bassy electro-groove –it is constrained by an all-too familiar 4-chord line of ethereal pads. However, when removed at 2:58, the beat looses its shackles and works itself into a nasty free-for-all that would get people sweaty in clubs and house parties alike. If only the DJs had more than 56 seconds of it to rinse.
That’s not to say Comatone’s tonal expressions aren’t ever effective. “Shadow Hopper” is probably the most moving piece on the disc- its slapback-echoed synth-bass lays down a twisted path for the clarinet and string patches to travel along while broken beats chaotically hold the track together. The melancholic pleas are infectious and the most likely candidates to inspire you to reach for the CD again after having put it down for a while.
The technical skills displayed are very impressive for a debut, but it just seems Comatone hasn’t quite found his voice yet. Torn between traditions of early electronic music and curiosities to break from form, sometimes the result is a lot of energy spent on not getting very far. He will eventually find the right balance, though, and I would count on his sophomore release to win over more and more disciples. I have the feeling Comatone is just getting warmed up and will be one to watch in the future.
One Into One Out is out now on Feral Media Records.
