(02.23.08) Origamibiro is the solo project of Nottingham (UK) based Tom Hill, once
a member of Wichita Records group Wauvenfold who also records under the
moniker of Penfold Plum. For this, his debut as Origamibiro, Hill
focuses on the use of guitar sounds and cut up samples whilst drawing on
the glitchier elements of Wauvenfold’s output.
Hill’s attention to intimate detail is evident throughout this album,
from the creak of his chair to the scrapes and knocks of his acoustic
guitar as he plays. His focus on guitar melodies and the physical
process of recording certain tracks brings with it an organic quality
not usually found in purely electronic music. Tracks such as “Noshi” and
the anxiously insistent “The Last of its Leaves” consist almost entirely
of acoustic guitar melodies but others, such as “Dissect Ephemeral” or
“Cracked Mirror and Stopped Clocks,” draw upon his electronic
influences. “Dissect Ephemeral” in particular loops a guitar sound with
cutup French spoken samples and fractured experimentation. In
contrast, “Womb Duvet” has a lazy tropical feel to it with elastic
guitar tones and a shuffling accompaniment. Where the balance
between guitar melodies and electronics works particularly nicely are
the gentle and emotionally vulnerable “Remnants,” the Latin-tinged
“Vitreous Detachment” and album closer “No More Counterfeit Bliss” where
the glitchier side of Hill’s work is kept to a minimum and the guitar is
augmented with bassy tones. His mix of classic guitar with the stark
synthetic elements of electronic experimentation creates interesting
counterpoints; on one end of the scale is the warm, intricate and
personal guitar strumming and on the other, the strange cutups, bassy
tones and crunches of digital composition.
Straddling the middle ground somewhere between electronic and acoustic,
Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks has a high level of intimacy and an
organic quality that is contrasted and often mixed with digitally
created tones and broken electronic sounds. At times the contrast is
distinct but at others they compliment each other beautifully, the
warmth and fragility of the guitar melodies amplified by just the right
amount of discrete electronic effects.
Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks is out now on Expanding. [Purchase
