A foray into new territory combining his knowledge of classical music with atmospherics and just a hint of a more beat oriented approach.
When a new Robert Logan release appears we here at Igloo sit up and take notice. This is because his work appears to be that of someone who’s been composing for twenty years or more as opposed to just over ten years. His worked has gone into many territories from neo-classical to techno to his more new-age collaborations with Steve Roach. It speaks volumes that a giant in the field such as Roach sought out Robert Logan to work together based on the strength of his work.
Logan’s latest is the Pop EP released on Slowfoot—yet another solid addition to his already impressive catalog. Don’t let the title misguide you. This isn’t Logan’s sellout work. This is a foray into new territory combining his knowledge of classical music with atmospherics and just a hint of a more beat oriented approach.
“Sharks” begins with the steady march of ghosts upon a brittle sonic landscape that morphs into a gentle spirit dance at twilight. “Deimatic House” could be mistaken for Oval except for the sheer organic feeling bursting from the track’s samples, synthetics and delicious beats. “Thunder Claps” begins with what could be mistaken for a simple techno bassline that soon turns into a banging track with immense drums and dark works unfolding across the sonic spectrum; it could serve as the score for a heist movie (most of Logan’s music has a deeply cinematic bent to it, conjuring up images of light and dark, shapes and sounds). “Rust Clusters” has the louche robotic funk feel of a Kraftwerk track without the sterility or uniformity as it moves through several clear phases and suites. “Relative’s” bopping golem-funk has a similarity to early Mouse On Mars but quickly becomes a Logan favorite with the light chug of sequenced keys and short sharp staccato sampled bits.
In total, Pop will reward repeated listening with new elements each time it’s played. Fans of Logan’s work will welcome it to their musical bosom while new fans would do well to seek out the rest of his catalog immediately if this tickles their sonic fancy.
Pop is available on Slowfoot.
