(05.14.08) [Ref. D::N Playlist #285] Nine releases to digest in so few words –it’s inevitable —sound is just not easy to put into words. If a picture can be created in your mind then we’ve done our part. Therefore if even one image emerges from this Overview that is relevant to you, then by all means seek out the release(s) and enjoy the music to its full capacity. It’s definitely worth it.
Magnetism, That Electricity from Highpoint Lowlife features four musicians each with their own particular style; all of which incorporate a complexity of emotions that is direct and impacting. The Marcia Blaine School For Girls‘ “Pinar” and “Bottle Stain,” both brimming with percussive perfection are classic examples of where electronic music is (and should) be headed; balanced rhythms complimented by subtle harmonies and beats that evolve from start to finish. Fisk Industries furthers his sound with “Blood,” a track that indulges in warped basslines and acid-tinged effects; its beat subdued and downtempo, “Blood” oozes with slow funk and bleepy propulsion. Fraction’s Superposition EP on Infine Music contains more of a techno infected slant –“Inside The Neighbour’s Cat’s Head,” however, focuses on sharp percussive slices molded to dark electro acoustics and a dismantled Clark-styled rhythm; chock full of creative noise and danceable beats, Superposition is a decent blend of new-school techno and old-school electro.
Aliens Production‘s Hyperreality compilation, while released just over a year ago, is still (quite) new to these ears, so a nod to the labels industrial electronic roots is in order. Artist like Stendeck, Disharmony, Flint Glass and Oxyd make their footprints known on this CD sampler. Anhedonia‘s “Logical Closure” opens with a tribal electronic feel and eventually drops full throttle into saturated beats, bass and distortion. Not forgetting its avid approach to melodic details, “Logical Closure” will certainly appeal to post-industrial subscribers itching to hear the next step in the genre. Not Breathing‘s latest full length (Laquarto & Perky, featured cover-art) with Jealous Edison not only reaffirms David Wright’s position as an influential electronics engineer, he aptly enforces his creative prowess with the assembly and disassembly of (hand-crafted) music machines and synthesizers. On “Lantana,” Not Breathing breathes life into decayed tweaks, clicks and blips while experimenting with fractured beats in a synthetic mess of musical perfection.
Remote Thoughts on Dalaki is a compilation composed of minimal dub and ambient interludes; while there may be a few relative unknowns presenting their sound-art, Dalaki has stepped up to create a cohesive compilation from start to end. Krill.Minima‘s “Substantial Drifting” is a delicately woven piece of clicks and cuts unfolding into a microcosm of dub, bass and discriminating ambience. Lanes‘ Fractal Collapse on his own imprint is quite impressive; its prime directive crafted by metalic shards of eerie basslines and shredded industrial noise. “Shapeshifter (Devoted Danica Deering)” is the perfect balance of all the above mentioned elements and encapsulates the mood of Fractal Collapse. Disharmony‘s Cloned: Other Side Of Evolution on Tympanik Audio dives straight into what you might expect, broken layers of noise balanced with razor sharp beats and cascading melodic ambiences; on “Like Falling Crystals,” Disharmony reconfigures Stendeck’s original (featured on Geska‘s released of Faces in 2007) to include chopped female vocal extracts and a more lively feel; its emotional elements still intact, “Like Falling Crystals” is a gorgeous piece of beautified industrial wastelands.
Creature‘s Distance Horizon on Haunted House is a new release that triggers a somewhat alien approach, literally. “Tenge Misuser,” for example, starts with waffling buzz tones and quickly unfolds with organic beatwork. Its upbeat synth washes are magnetic but just as the piece begins to unravel; it ends unpredictably, leaving the listener itching for more. Ad-Ver-Sary‘s Bone Music (also) on Tympanik Audio (their output in the past year has been consistently prolific), sheds light on a more introspective industrial electronic approach. “International Dark Skies,” similar to Richard Devine, Einoma and Sunao Inami, treds on slow moving water with dripping beats and echoed effects at its core.
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.
