Nightswimmer is the alias of Melbourne artist Andrew Day. Can The Mechanical Be Beautiful? is his debut album, following on from a previous independent EP release. The logical progression of most solo electronic artists is usually to begin in a niche genre and to then gradually introduce other elements and styles once a firm base of material has been established. Some artists however, bravely attempt to combine all manner of genres from the word go – a choice that can either work extremely well, or can flop fantastically. Day has strongly combined the best elements of electronica, dub, techno, and breaks into a most interesting hybrid of genres.
“Collapsing Heart” is a an odd marriage of the aesthetics of drum n bass rhythm programming as well as layered live instrumentation much in the vein of the recent excellent Fourtet release on UK label Leaf. “A brief moment in the sun” builds an airy tapestry of chiming guitar parts above sequenced rhythm layers in smoothly skillful fashion.
“The Somnambulist” is a delicious duborama of lazy beats and warm horn (Day is very much the multi instrumentalist) lines, and proves yet again that Day can skillfully apply himself in any genre.
“Splitting The Seconds” and “Piper Alpha Disaster” recall early Black Dog or Balil (and therefore Plaid) with their staccato basslines and playful melody gymnastics.
“Beacon Transmission” plods along with its chirpy instrumentation and menacing bassline reminding me of the earlier works of Mike Paradinas. “With Clouds I sleep” brings the album to a close in magnificent fashion with its dreamy combination of reverb-drenched piano and assortment of atmospheric sound effects.
One criticism that could apply to selected tracks is that they would have benefited dramatically from live drumming or more varied rhythm sequencing. Despite this, Nightswimmer is an audacious and finely crafted collection of moods and ideas that displays Day’s skill in merging the many guises of electronic music.
