Ctrl-F2 is the first music compilation for online
magazine Modsquare. Skillfully curated by founder Liz
McLean Knight and available as a free MP3 download or
sampler-priced CD-R for those with dialup, I’m sure it
won’t be the last. From the stuttering Aphex-style
electro breaks of Atropa’s “Yaser” to the graceful
glitch of Praveen Sharma’s “Elephant Feet,” Ctrl-F2
consistently manages to one-up itself in its style and
diversity.
Equulei’s “I Break For Children” flirts with a “Born
Slippy”-era Underworld build that begins with
insistent breaks over unfolding layers of loops before
dropping a choice 4/4 beat that dissolves into a
sustained breakdown perfect for long beatmatches.
Matthew Mercer’s “Buy Back Popular Demand” fashions a
kind of broken glitchtech with a crock-pot of
simmering samples programmed to be ladled at random as
the baked beats are served oven-hot. Kero’s “3-21”
moves on into classic IDM with an inspired mix of
crunchy rhythms and silken organ pads that are mindful
to their experienced sources, while still maintaining
a fresh twist. And speaking of twists, Quantazelle’s
“Braking (Broken)” gets its original coherent
construction rearranged by way of unknown Feng Shui
methods and what results is a slightly twisted,
crunchier variation just as tasty.
The shifting, bubbly 8-bit melodies and rhythms of R.
Garcia’s “Washing My Pants” make me want to see if
there’s a hidden SAP function for some unreleased
GameBoy classic featuring mazes of gyrating sunflowers
and bouncy fuzzy creatures showing the way out. The
sunflowers turn into thorny evil carnivorous plants
and the fuzzy creatures become bloodthirsty rabid
rodents weakened only by enchanted swordplay in The
Flashbulb’s “Lawn Wake IV (Black),” which to me sounds
like a reverent chiptune ode to epic guitar god Yngwie
Malmsteen. The mania continues with Atomly’s “Big Up
Mi Snacks,” a DSP/Jungle-flavored Dancehall excursion
complete with an MC toasting while nursing a glass of
Absinthe. The glass gets passed on to Aaron Funk who
shares it with Ennio Morricone and what results is
Mochipet’s “Desert Search For Techno Baklava,” a track
guaranteed not to disappoint those intrigued by its
clever title.
If Ctrl-F2 is just the first course of Modsquare’s
collection of free audio, there’s no doubt in my mind
the rest is burning a hole in Liz McLean Knight’s hard
drive. Until the second course is served, we can
savor what Ctrl-F2 has on its delicious menu.
Ctrl-F2 is out now on Modsquare.
