I’m still pretty gobsmacked that an artist of Carr’s calibre was living a stone’s throw from me in Ireland, I’m also a little disappointed I missed out on his early work. Nevertheless, it seems that this Irishman’s most prolific period is right now and there’s no time like the present to make up for past losses. New Planets To Conquer is a 12” of understated subtlety with a timeless quality. Sheer class through and through.
I’ve been writing about—or attempting to do so—electronic music for well over a decade now. Some constants have been encountered, some have remained. While the contribution of my homeland to electronic music, Ireland, has continued to grow, I had yet to put fingers to keyboard to cover an artist from my own neck of the woods, from the Irish Midlands (and for anyone tempted to ask, yes we have midlands.) That day has now been put to rest.
Derek Carr might not be from my own hometown but he’s within spitting distant in Westmeath’s Mullingar. Carr is not a fresh face to the world of electronics, he has been releasing on seminal labels like Headspace and Dublin’s own Psychonavigation for almost two decades. Yet, despite his years of activity it is only really now that this talented musician is getting the recognition he deserved alongside the vinyl real estate. Distant Worlds have obviously noticed his work on labels like FireScope and For Those That Knoe with New Planets To Conquer set to hit shops imminently.
The 12” is quartered into four generous proportions. “Scisor” thumps into existence, kick drums rumble before silken synthlines unfurl. A magpie approach is employed as elements of Detroit and UK techno are cherrypicked and then lovingly woven together for a piece of future gazing elegance. “Wraith”, on the flip, employs a similar rhythm pattern but to quite different effect. Crisp percussion snaps through a chugging groove different hues and shades melt against acid spikes. “Fading Fast” and “Sunrise in System” are cut from a similar cloth. The former is an absorbing excursion into staggering claps, soaring strings and cascading bleeps. The latter is the most playful of the entire outing. Xylophonic chords are supported by bubbles of softened bass and a textured percussive lattice.
I’m still pretty gobsmacked that an artist of Carr’s calibre was living a stone’s throw from me in Ireland, I’m also a little disappointed I missed out on his early work. Nevertheless, it seems that this Irishman’s most prolific period is right now and there’s no time like the present to make up for past losses. New Planets To Conquer is a 12” of understated subtlety with a timeless quality. Sheer class through and through.
New Planets To Conquer is available on Distant Worlds. [Juno]
