The overall mood encompasses happiness, freedom, love, loss, friendliness, compassion and collaboration. Whilst being an album, there are just 6 new tracks and 4 epic remixes on display. When you see names like exm, Inkipak, Synthi A, and Scanner as remixers, you know there are major treats ahead.
The Superman of electronica from Wales
And then along comes another fantastic album! This one took me a few goes around to really appreciate, so I recommend giving it a few listens to fully let it settle. Martin Boulton (aka Min-Y-Llan), the Superman of electronica from Wales, who seems to not only have his finger firmly on the pulse for all good things electronic music wise, but also his various labels, continuously releases high-quality music. Often very limited physical runs of records and/or CDs. He’s also a really good guy who happens to run the charity-focused label Touched – Music For Macmillan Cancer Support.
Martin releases what I feel are his most personal musical works under the Min-Y-Llan moniker. Now, my Welsh language skills are pretty much zero, but Google Translate would have us believe this translates as shoreline. An alias which seems in keeping with this honorable gentleman, his love of nature, and devotion to his pet (sausage) dogs!
The opening track sets a certain tone that this is going to be a journey along a certain type of path. The overall mood encompasses happiness, freedom, love, loss, friendliness, compassion and collaboration. Production wise, it’s all beautifully arranged and mastered. Whilst being an album, there are just 6 new tracks and 4 epic remixes on display. When you see names like exm, Inkipak, Synthi A, and Scanner as remixers, you know there are major treats ahead.
Major treats ahead ::
“Crash Over Me (Featuring Melatron)” opens with vocal elements. For me, vocals are not something that I gravitate towards with electronic music. But these are in keeping with the track and definitely add a warmth and sweetness which would be otherwise absent. Melodies soar with string synths playing off melodies with the vocals, but don’t be mistaken in thinking your bass bins won’t get some warming up, as the percussive elements at play flitter and glitter across the sound stage.
“Swmpus” opens up with some Lisa Gerrard/Dead Can Dance samples, which are pretty chopped up and rearranged to create layered refrains. I do like this track but probably overdid it with my love of DCD back in the 90’s and early 00’s.
The next two tracks on the album (“Dappled Dreams” and “Wibbly Wobbly”) are fantastic clean-cut electronica—well rounded melodic and rhythmic exploits to excite the ears, test the spatial capabilities of a good Hi-Fi, and keep those bass bins warmed up—but not too much so. “Dappled Dream” is a personal favorite despite being under three minutes long! Hints of classic influences abound this track and album, from the likes of Plaid, FSOL, DCD, and Aphex Twin. “Wibbly Wobbly” features some more Lisa Gerrard vocal samples, but they work better here for me than on “Swmpus,” plus the lovely use of piano.
“Too Soon To Say Goodbye” has the hallmarks of a track that means more than most. Another short piece under the three minute mark, but it’s a less is more situation with the message delivered efficiently. Here we get to share the feelings of loss and sadness being conveyed, but also the beauty of who we lost.
“Just A Word” kind of brings the new songs part of this release to a close. Here we get an even more introspective melodic symphony—relatively simple yet achieves so much more than the sum of its parts. Delivering us beyond the loss felt on “Too Soon To Say Goodbye.” Instead, we journey though a new beautiful hall of clouds with dancing angelic sweeps and sparkles. With a final vocal sample to bring things to the end of part one. Was that Steve Tyler!? I’m unsure where that voice came from.
The remixes ::
Entering the remix section of the release we are treated to a fantastic remix by the FSOL camp (Synthi A, aka Brian Dougans) on “Lot-E M5.” This track has just so much melody and has the spirit of classic Jean Michel Jarre synths as we are also treated to some nice broken rhythms—Synthi A delivers on all fronts—one for repeated playback.
For those familiar with Inkipak, he is a relatively new artist—to my ears anyway—with two great albums and a split release with Myoptik. Here he reinvents the opening track lifting it to new heights, with percussive elements that feel reminiscent of Orbital’s Snivilisation. And of course it would not be an Inkipak classic without the subtle acid lines. I dare you not to find your body throwing shapes even if just chair dancing to this track—for nights in or out, dancing with closed eyes, open friends, and full glasses.
exm took my little favorite 2:30 track “Dappled Dreams” and turned it into a 9-minute epic remix. It takes a certain kind of confidence and creativity to pull off a job like that—7 minutes of amazing rework—then things get weird. The remix spawns its own crazy lovechild sub-track. Almost like a gauntlet being returned to sender.
Reaching the end ::
And so we reach the end, the final curtain call, and a track which would be a stand alone release all by itself. Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner) brings his own special brand of unbounded creativity to his remix of Just A Word (As At Last It Moves Into Silence).” In literary terms it’s like he turned a short poem into an essay. Expanding on the themes and melodies, and allowing them time and space to grow and develop. Also there may have been some sort of “so you got 9 minutes from exm!!? Here!, take 19 mate!!!“—but I am sure that is just my imagination at play. There’s a long sample of a phone-call between what is presumably two distant lovers. The synths and sequences are elongated with extra harmonics to almost distortion and feedback effects. Robin shows off his strong technical skills—reinforcing himself as a musical innovator. It makes me think of Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti at times, creative and envelope pushing.
Overall this is a very strong mega-extended EP with 6 great new tracks and 4 excellent remixes. A definite purchase for all fans of this type of electronic music and I’d also recommend interested listeners to delve into the other Martin Boulton-led labels—L50, Touched Music, Touched Revolutions, Touched Electronix, Dyadik, and his own works on Min-Y-Llan Music.
Involatile is available on Min-Y-Llan Music. [Bandcamp]
