2View — f5point6 :: A Random Sequence of Events & Rhombus Index :: hycean (See Blue Audio)

Both records express what has been built up to in previous outings from these artists, and they may as well be the culmination for both for now; unless there’s even more coming out this year, at which point I’d have to see which way the wind will be blowing in future releases.

An overall enveloping atmosphere that’s as smooth as honey

f5point6 and Rhombus Index’s output throughout 2024 has been rather plentiful, with a series of records offered by See Blue Audio, one of which was also a collaboration between the two, so it’s not a shocker to see how A Random Sequence of Events and hycean have been released right next to one another.

That may also lead you to think these two LPs may be somewhat linked, but out of the material that these artists have put out this year, these two records may be the most distinct. Rhombus Index seems to be focusing on a specific aesthetic, a very modern sounding type of space music that also blends in some touches of IDM, while f5point6’s record is rather eclectic in nature, there’s not much cohesion in terms of sound, but definitely a common theme when it comes to atmosphere, still keeping the album together.

Either way, both seem to love their electronics, creating futuristic worlds to immerse yourself in. How effectively said immersion happens depends on not just which of the two albums you dive into, but also on the track itself, as both have some really open and structureless moments that alternate with the more linear and guided pieces. And if you’re not satisfied with either, well you should be, because I find that each records does best at one of the two approaches, so you should find something that will satisfy your hunger in one of the two. More specifically, the atmospheric tracks on hycean happen to be great, while A Random Sequence of Events shines most when it’s building up to something.

One example for both categories could be “Prelude to the Inevitable” and “Flotsam;” the former is just that, a prelude, it sets up the following piece on A Random Sequence of Events, but it does so in a really intriguing way, because it seems like the track is constantly building up and getting more and more tense, but nothing really happens by the time you get to the end. It adds more layers, like some background noise and even a proper beat, and yet it still feels so inept at getting the point across, as if it was purposefully stuttering to tease you. Obviously, that makes it maintain great tension, because even if the piece isn’t texturally uneasy, it certainly feels like it’s still trying to keep you on your toes. The inevitable is “And In Came Eddy,” I suppose, given that’s what the next track seems to be about, and it does also pick back up from where its predecessor left you hanging, actually developing into something more substantial this time.

 

“Flotsam” operates in a different fashion, leaving a lot of room instead. It is not tight at all, if anything it’s rather bright and colorful, especially with those big synth chords that periodically pop up, they’re my favorite part of this track for sure. It’s still not to be thought of as an ambient piece, as it not only features a pretty slick groove (whose wet timbres may still call back to a more relaxed approach), but also noticeable progression throughout, adding a lead melody and later on a secondary one that’s even brighter.

The real ambient treat comes in as the closer for hycean, which marks a great pair with the just discussed “Flotsam.” “Coastal Curve” really is ambience this time around, and it’s quite a lot more colorful than the album’s somewhat aggressive cover would have you think. I love the really soft yet poppy motifs that appear throughout the piece, in almost new age fashion you get these short phrases popping around everywhere, and with them you also get some wonderfully soft pads and watery background bleeps, an overall enveloping atmosphere that’s as smooth as honey.

Going back to A Random Sequence of Events, its ambient moments are also quite a few, but I don’t find them to be as impressive as hycean‘s, as I’ve already said. They’re more prevalent at the beginning and at the end of the LP, with the opening “Flowing With the Phagocytes” being especially nice, with its thunderous droning bass that sets things straight for how futuristic the album’s overall sound is. And I may have not pointed that out enough yet, but most of these pieces really do feel like an exploration of some urban area far ahead of our time, with some, like the previously mentioned “Prelude to the Inevitable” or “Un momento pensieroso,” selling that idea even more by using field recordings.

The use of acoustic instruments also helps in that department, as well as reminding me of the extravagant “Floam” from the collaborative record Mutual Expression; again talking about “Un momento pensieroso,” you have a jazzy double bass accompanied by occasional cymbal hits, it may sound like a type of bassline Amon Tobin would snatch back in the ’90s, and it sets things back into less abstract territories. Another example of this is another already mentioned piece, “And In Came Eddy,” which not only boasts a trumpet, but a nice and smooth drum groove, both things that make it almost laid back.

 

Immersive atmospheres ::

It’s differences like these that ultimately set these two records apart so much, yet you also have similar ideas, just executed really differently. While on hycean you have luscious and immersive atmospheres, A Random Sequence of Events seems to be a lot less straightforward in its ambient approach, leaving a lot of room for the listener to let themselves sink into. Truth be told, I think a lot of the times said room may be a little too much, with a couple tracks like “Phase Eleven” leaving me a bit numb due to how much they insists on the same ideas. As I said, I do prefer this album’s more focused approach, while for hycean I very much enjoy breathing in its wonderful spacious approach, mainly due to how well its tiny details fill the voids.

Anyways, both records express what has been built up to in previous outings from these artists, and they may as well be the culmination for both for now; unless there’s even more coming out this year, at which point I’d have to see which way the wind will be blowing in future releases. As they stand for now though, both records solidify the direction that both f5point6 and Rhombus Index have taken under See Blue Audio, also clarifying for me who did what on Mutual Expression, as I overall feel like both artists have expressed themselves more thoroughly with these two LPs.

A Random Sequence of Events and hycean are available on See Blue Audio.