(03.23.07) Soon after the release of this EP, Belladonna announced that it was going into hiatus. Perhaps this record is reflective of the way the label was heading. From the successful first compilation to artist appearances in Vancouver clubs, the infant outfit was turning up its output. The first year of a new imprint is always the most difficult, it must have solid roster of talent if it means to continue to innovate and guard against the onslaught of stagnation. This latest release on Belladonna, Robots Smile Too by Samarah, seems to have been the label’s last sigh.
The record opens with “Sputterwhirl,” a sleepy, glitchy number of sampled tones and soft distortions. The track lulls and slumps into itself as abrasive sounds thrash. The track surges and bubbles, with sharp twists and snares before collapsing. “Strip Mall Romance” follows with the same sound of crunched up melodies and abstracted beats. Yet, the vocals are no longer cut and chopped, like in “Sputterwhirl,” but feature as an integral part of the track –the track lacks something that its predecessor has; beats tire as repetition prolongs without change. The same sound is maintained for “Lovebot,” but here the track works better as a whole. A short, abstract work of ambient vocal cuts and harsh beats.
“Get It Right” holds the dreamy sounds, but with a much softer and relaxed feel. Wistful lyrics haunt the backdrop, running spectral lines though a technological night-scape. Ghost in the machine vocals sigh across the final untitled track, as ambient chords and deliberate tweaks bob across the waves.
Robots Smile Too is an unsettling ambient EP with some interesting notes. Yet, the tracks have almost too similar a quality throughout. Distorted beats and soft chords are followed by distorted beats and soft chords with some echoed vocals. The EP doesn’t develop, with the style and sound following drearily throughout. A blend of soft, ambient electronica that is relaxing, but after several listenings the tracks merge into unidentifiable essences. Samarah is an artist of talent, but one who needs to develop a more creative sound. If Belladonna is ever to have a resurrection, it must review its music before releasing it and make sure that their tracks have substance. Electronica is produced too haphazardly by too many; perhaps this is one of the pivotal elements that aided in the demise of Belladonna.
Robots Smile Too is out now on Belladonna and can also be downloaded via Nishi.
