(04.28.08) [Ref. D::N Playlist #283] With only a few (new) titles broadcast on Show #283, there’s still quite a bit of discovery within each release. Each label offers impeccable genre crossing styles spanning through shoegaze, dark-ambient, and experimental electro. Electr-ohm, n5MD, Rednetic, Resonant and Tympanik Audio, each with their own particular style, exceed expectation and break pre-conceived notions of what electronic music should sound like.
Sunao Inami‘s latest offering, Laid Back Computing (Electr-ohm, featured cover art), while suggesting calm-natured background music simply re-evaluates the state of current dark-electro industrial acoustics; “Pulled DSPs,” “Laid Back Computing” and “You Daren’t Look Behind” trod similar paths as the rugged basswork of Richard Devine utilizing digital trickery to execute his definitive sound. Recue‘s All The Wrong Places (Rednetic), initially comes off as yet another IDM-influenced release when in fact there are subtle yet emotive melodies buried in the undergrowth of cohesive percussion; “Bivouac” is a prime example of the overall feel on All The Wrong Places. It might be early in my evaluation of Our Sleepless Forest, with their self-titled full-length on Resonant, a cascading, almost electrifying ambient experience is offered on “White Bird,” a track that must simply be heard in order to properly access. Subheim‘s new release (Approach) on the ever-expanding Tympanik Audio covers an area seeded with harsh landscapes derived from torrential undercurrents and post-industrial beatwork. Tympanik Audio, a contender to labels like Hymen/Ant-Zen has been extremely focused on dark experiments in sound and Subheim is no exception. The two tracks featured on D::N #283, “One Step Before The Exit” and “Stranded,” are both drenched in darkened extraterrestrial soundscapes fuelled by elevated ambient propulsion and sharp, metallic beats; perfect.
Switching gears slightly, Yard‘s latest 12-inch (Detrit EP on Binary Dilemma) delves into danceable territory with 4/4 beats and acidic effects left and right, Cane‘s remix of “Detrit” mangles the original into digestible chunks of distressed funk. Port-Royal‘s Flared Up (Resonant) is a release I’ve been highly anticipating, several remix collaborators (F.S. Blumm, Manual, Fizzarum, Ulrich Schnauss etc.) offer up their delectable versions featured on the sought-after Flared full-length also on Resonant. The Manuel and Opn remixes of “Karola Bloch” are dripping with shoegaze ambience and elevated emotions that effectively capture the feel of this remix album. Arc Lab’s The Goodbye Radio, while on the surface unleashes a tranquil appeal eventually opens up gracefully with whispering vocal extracts (as featured on “I Wish I Could Tell You”) mixed with soothing sound-escapes; another uniquely crafted, yet delicate release for n5MD.
Digital::Nimbus is a weekly electronic music radio show broadcasting from KUCI 88.9 FM in the Irvine, California and surrounding areas with streaming media available at KUCI.org. For more information visit digitalnimbus.com.
