This record skirts the boundaries of ambient techno, each musician inheriting from past greats while adding their own unique quality and style. Simply put, a record to be enjoyed for many many years.
Skirting the boundaries of ambient techno
The last twelve months (more, no?) have had little to celebrate. Although the impact of COVID19 has been very different across the globe, one universal result has been “a lack of.” There’s a lack of freedom, lack of opportunities, lack of responsibility, lack of everything but a lack of lack. In a similar way, many record labels have held back their production. Releases have been shelved for a later date or scrapped altogether.
In such times, there are always glimmers of hope and those glimmers can easily broaden into rays; depending on the source. The Imaginary Museum is a definite musical source of such hope. Born from the mind of Distant World’s founder, this brand new label is opening its doors with a split 12″ care of Utopia Cloak and The Jaffa Kid.
Utopia Cloak, Harry Wareham, is an artist who will be known to some, he should be known to more. With a healthy spread of cassette albums and digital releases, Wareham has an enviable musical ability. This magpie musician has adopted sounds from the past: broken beats, babbling analog breaks, and melted them with his own modern touch. Gentle summer rain and modular waves introduce “Summer Holiday 98.” Gravelly drums crunch underfoot as the listener is led through a sun-streaked seaside soundtrack. The morphing unctuous “Matter Changing States” follows. Mause, of Analogical Force fame, offers up his “Brighton Beach Sunset Brewskie” version of “Summer Holiday 98” to close the A-Side. Beats are bolstered, with an electronic seagull thrown in for good measure, in this version with breaks being more generous. Despite these dance floor nods, the track is a lush relaxed affair with its slow smoldering keys.
The flip is piloted by Daniel Pringle, better known as The Jaffa Kid. Jungle echoes are left aside for the trio on offering, instead Pringle taps into his talents for deep immersive techno. “A Certain Retro”, with his skittering hi-hats and expansive chords, is almost tactile in that it conjures such vivid memories of iconic 90s electronic albums. BPMs rise with “Jig Jag Electron.” Industrial percussion accompanies slender electro snaps with a melodic embrace coming from lounging synth lines. The finale comes in the form of “Carago.” Skittish drum patterns give rise to dawning notes, warbling keys spring from computer game memories in this beautifully balanced and understated piece.
With Distant Worlds’ track record as a good measurement, it was likely that The Imaginary Museum was going to be something special. Introduce two artists like Utopia Cloak and The Jaffa Kid, then we are taking something very special. This record skirts the boundaries of ambient techno, each musician inheriting from past greats while adding their own unique quality and style. Simply put, a record to be enjoyed for many many years.
The Imaginary Museum 001 is available on The Imaginary Museum. [Soundcloud]
