Style Time offers a fleeting glimpse into the world of exploratory electronics—a soundscape in perpetual motion, dancing on the brink of disarray, yet never collapsing. It pulses with restless energy, where moments of serenity shimmer briefly amid the turbulence.
Embracing unusual rhythms and tonalities
There’s an undercurrent of smoldering intensity and synth-driven pulse woven throughout, as Paul Morrin (Spectac/FES) and Dunk Murphy (Sunken Foal/Countersunk) delve into a richly harmonic, bass-blasted psychedelia with Style Time. The album crosses through distorted electro forms, where dub and funk intertwine seamlessly across eight meticulously crafted tracks. Like an intricate sonic blanket—disheveled soundscapes ripple with echoes of vintage glitch and nostalgic instrumental crunch, melding layers of noise and roughened melodies, as heard in the piercing opener “Sour Smock.”
Other moments, like “Pantaloon Prince” and “Planing Girdle,” transport listeners through surreal, time-bent passages. Playful bursts of blips, bleeps, and translucent bubbling beats surface on tracks such as “Cuff Link Express” and “Gary Shoehorn,” recalling the percussive synth pops and crackles of the early Plod and Plone era, reimagined for 2025 of course. The soundscape seamlessly unfolds like a kaleidoscope of color and dimension, with Morrin and Murphy embracing unusual rhythms and tonalities. The closing piece, “Balfe’s Tiara,” drifts gently on a bed of delicate analog ambient fissures that splinter and spark, generating a graceful finale to this immersive experience.
Style Time offers a fleeting glimpse into the world of exploratory electronics—a soundscape in perpetual motion, dancing on the brink of disarray, yet never collapsing. It pulses with restless energy, where moments of serenity shimmer briefly amid the turbulence. Highly recommended for discerning listeners drawn to the intricate soundscapes of Clark, the ethereal rhythms of Teebs, and the raw intensity of Dead Fader.
Style Time is available on Countersunk. [Bandcamp]
