This is music to calm the spirit, to escape the daily torments and to alleviate anger and pain. In short, an accomplished achievement from an artist who laid the foundations of electronic music and continues to create and innovate like few others.
I’ve waxed lyrical more than once, and can guarantee I will again, about the virtues of 90s techno, especially that which came out of Britain. Although some of those pioneers, like Neil Landstrumm, continue to release cracking music, the majority faded into obscurity. Then there are the exceptions, those who came back. Steve Rutter of B12 fame is part of this minuscule group of prodigal sons. In recent years the seminal Electro Soma has been revived through live shows, past tracks resurrected on Electro Soma II while Rutter has established his own sound under his own name and label FireScope. The culmination of this second coming is just hitting shops, a double album solo release: Brain Fog.
An icy breeze cuts through the opening track. Chills and shivers introduce “Sleep Gives Freedom,” lonesome lines ghosting past slippery beats. This nightscape gives wake to a dawn. Despite “Statuesque” retaining some of the colder elements of its predecessor, lush notes give a sense of warmth. That same warmth is plain to hear in “Memories of You.” Fragile percussion buttresses even more delicate keys. B12 were known for their ability to weave whimsical melodies, melodies that conjured up images of asteroid belts and moon peppered planets, supported by skittering rhythms. That same quality permeates Brain Fog. However, with this album there an even greater ephemeral quality. Compositions form in wisps of smoke, shaping and reshaping before these brief moments of beauty vanish. Nevertheless, there are also sturdy numbers locked in by playful nods to classic 4/4 patterns. Take “Degenerator.” Here the demands of the floor are taken into consideration, a steady thump allowing swirls of synth to arc and bend against echoes of satellite bleep. The collection, unlike much of the star gazing of B12, feels tethered to the human condition. Titles like “First Degree Anguish” and “Cracked Reality” unfurl into engaging ambient excursions where the race of life is replaced by cerebral and soothing sounds. For anyone still after some interplanetary interplay, Rutter hasn’t disappointed with numbers such as the expansive elegance of “Infinity Machine” and the jittery coldness of “Binary Breakdown” ready to explore the heavens. The 2LP finishes with a flourish, the Warp veteran serving up a soulful soundtrack with “Hand In Hand” which seems to perfectly combine his past and present styles.
Steven Rutter is not just an electronic musician, he’s also a very interesting and open character. He’s a man who has not shied away from personal setbacks and has sought to help those who have found themselves entangled in similar strife. This focus on the self, the human, the mind, is an undeniable feature of Brain Fog with the album being tantamount to an audio tonic to cleanse and clarify our modern fervors. This is music to calm the spirit, to escape the daily torments and to alleviate anger and pain. In short, an accomplished achievement from an artist who laid the foundations of electronic music and continues to create and innovate like few others.
Brain Fog is available on FireScope.
