A supremely enjoyable trip that keeps things interesting with unexpected sonic detours. It’s like going on a rapid-fire excursion through a crowded market, led by a tour guide who intimately knows every cool corner and can’t wait to show you what’s next.
A supremely enjoyable trip w/ unexpected sonic detours
The name Proswell will be familiar to most who frequent these parts of the internet. Joseph Misra has been honing his distinct brand of intricate, melodic electronic music under that moniker for two decades, and many of his releases on labels such as Touched Music, Merck, and Misra’s netlabel Eerik Inpuj have been covered extensively here on Igloo. His latest, People are Giving and Receiving Thanks at Incredible Speed (hereafter PAGARTAIS, for short), is his first outing on Central Processing Unit and represents another evolution in his craft.
Consisting of five eponymous tracks, “PAGARTAIS I” through “PAGARTAIS V,” this release packs a ton of musical ideas into its 35 minute runtime. “I” kicks it off in style, with a lurching rubbery bassline, warped funhouse synths and driving beat that turns ferocious about four minutes in. At the six-minute mark there’s a complete shift into a shimmering downtempo groove that showcases Misra’s roots in the chiptune scene. Similarly, “II” is a whole EPs worth voyage in itself, from a straight rock-n-roll beat to churning breaks. There’s an interesting evolution on display here from Proswell’s early Merck releases like Konami and Carrot Dossier, which ran through change-ups at a similar pace but in shorter, 30 to 90 second blasts of unrelated tracks.
“III” brings in a delightfully cheesy samba beat and a slippery arpeggiated lead for some low-bitrate fun, and “IV” dives into more traditional IDM/ambient waters with soft strings and a gentle beat that ramp up to a glitchy, propulsive finale. And to close out the affair, “V” drops a dope arpeggiated melody and massive layers of synth wash over a restless rhythm that builds in urgency until it morphs into a filthy techno bass-drop.
Overall, PAGARTAIS is a supremely enjoyable trip that keeps things interesting with unexpected sonic detours. It’s like going on a rapid-fire excursion through a crowded market, led by a tour guide who intimately knows every cool corner and can’t wait to show you what’s next.
People Are Giving and Receiving Thanks at Incredible Speeds is available January 29, 2021 on Central Processing Unit. [Bandcamp]
