The multi-talented synth sound sculptor is still at the top of his game, extracting every ounce of rugged and rich robot music from his machines and keeping the results uncomplicated.
Vintage sonic explorations
The blissful thudding drums and interwoven melodic strands that Gregory de Rocher exposes on his latest Grey With Breaks album is pretty special. His lo-fi “ish” sound-scraping beauty that he’s able to maintain isn’t surprising either, as his Lowfish signature has always infused old-school analog gear and morphed them into powerful, if not overtly simplistic, electro-nics since 1996. His tried-and-true formula has stood the test of time as well, as this amalgam of 19 tracks—9 of which were featured on previous Suction releases from 2011 through 2018—still feel fresh and utterly on-point all these years later.
As we are knee deep in the roaring 20s, it’s always a refreshing experience to dive full-throttle into what de Rocher aptly describes as “sometimes distorted, instrumental electronic music with catchy/sappy melodies.” Throughout Grey With Breaks, it becomes even more clear that the multi-talented synth sound sculptor is still at the top of his game, extracting every ounce of rugged and rich robot music from his machines and keeping the results uncomplicated.
Another outstanding album from the originator that continues to craft vintage sonic explorations. Favorites include tracks from the 2018 release Hypersensitivity EP (“Arp294ms,” “Mv37,” “Favourable Reports,” and “Hypersensitivity,”) as well as “Mostly Cloudy,” “Dead Specimen,” “Hello Tinnitus,” “Pooling,” and “DEP-5 Theme.” We are in sweet 808 heaven with these thick bass-laden and slow-burning electro pieces.
Grey With Breaks is available on Suction. [Bandcamp]
