Silfra Diving is primarily an IDM album interspersed with long ambient passages and the occasional nod to the past with some retro analogue motifs that instantly recall moments from 90s ambient techno.
Instantly recalling moments from 90s ambient techno
Skua Atlantic is a duo made up of two musicians who both have solid discographies behind them as solo artists: Árni Grétar who releases as Futuregrapher and Michael Gainford, better known to most as Mick Chillage. Chillage is one of the most prolific and consistent artists working in electronic music at the moment. While Grétar has been a constant on the scene almost for as long as it has existed with a string of excellent releases and production credits to his name.
Silfra Diving is primarily an IDM album interspersed with long ambient passages and the occasional nod to the past with some retro analogue motifs that instantly recall moments from 90s ambient techno. At times it can be a very complex album with the arrangements often epic and ambitious in scale. Detuned pads and detuned synth lines are driven by clever beat programming creating a nice counter-balance and tempo that you could definitely dance along to if the mood was to take you. Equally, it’s a pleasurable album just to sit back and listen to. There’s also lots of little sonic oddities that are very engaging and certainly add to the overall narrative arc of the album.
There’s a long, often complex and often beautiful history shared between Ireland and Iceland and whether Grétar and Gainford meant it or not, they’ve managed to encapsulate that history, in part at least with this intelligent and painstakingly diligent album from the Fantasy Enhancing label. I’ve been listening to this genre for years and it’s great to hear more and more IDM that you can actually dance to is starting to return.
I was listening to a show on Mixlr hosted by Mighty Force’s Mark Darby not long ago and was honestly blown away by the sheer quality of the new breed of artists who are putting IDM firmly on the dance floor again. This album certainly has those moments too.
Silfra Diving is available on Fantasy Enhancing. [Bandcamp]
