A few people out there may know Denver McCarthy from either his Mechanism
material in the early 90s (including on Lenny Dee’s Industrial Strength label) or his more recent chilled Micronism album, which was released on
New Zealand label Kog Transmissions. This is his third album, and his first
release for Statra, a US-based label set up by an ex-pat New Zealander.
One thing that may be unsettling for some is that since his Micronism
release Denver has become a devotee of the Society for Krishna
Consciousness, what most people call a “Hare Krishna”. This album is
devoted to various gurus of the movement, and the liner notes detail how
the tracks relate to Denver’s beliefs. I have some strong reservations
about evangelical religions, and am reasonably uncomfortable with the track
“The Great Mantra for Deliverance”. This takes a loop of their famous
mantra (“Hare Krisha Hare Krisha Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”) and lets it roll through various filters for a
long while, before introducing a subdued beat underneath it. Denver writes
that this is included “for the spiritual benefit of all who hear this
recording.” That said, this is the only instance where I could draw any
connection between the liner notes and the music contained on the CD, so it
certainly didn’t put me off the release as a whole.
To offer a brief overview of the music, the album is a mix of driving,
melodic techno and more laidback electro with funk influenced, live
sounding rhythms. Even on the more laidback tracks, his sound is totally
“techno”. Everything is very much based around the classic synth sounds
that Detroit seized upon – squeaky little 101 melodies, squelchy bass
lines, lush drawn out chords. I can imagine fans of the ART releases really
getting into this.
I found some of the tracks a little anachronistic, especially the opening
techno pounder, with its 303 acid line and brassy synth lead. My tastes
definitely lean towards the more syncopated, electro numbers, such as
“Evergreen”, “Energy from the Supreme Energetic”, and the album’s title
track. On this one muffled and tweaked drum sounds carry the groove while
Denver lays down some tasty electro funk licks. Heaps of fun.
The album winds down with “Subduing the Mind”, which has an appropriately
contemplative synth line wandering over swelling chords. Not sure how
literally we’re supposed to take it, but a fast paced jittering beat gives
way to a more relaxed groove before we are left with the spaciousness of
the harmonic elements for the last few minutes of the album. A calculated
come down, but it works beautifully.
Tracklisting ::
