Son of Idaia is a good mix of ambient electronics and ghostly techno in a dubby, starkly beautiful package. The mysterious Vai has caught our attention and we’re listening for more. Recommended.
From the label Holger comes the mysterious Vai with their Son of Idaia. Vai has been active in the scene for a few years already, with various production teams and aliases. Whoever Vai is they are not afraid to challenge the listener by creating abstract compositions with recognizable elements. I’m sure when their identity is revealed it will be no surprise but this reviewer would love if it was someone totally unexpected like Billy Childish of Thee Headcoats.
“Dust” is reminiscent of To Rococo Rot, Porter Ricks and Pole so perhaps Vai is from Berlin? Is it Burnt Friedman or perhaps Uwe Schmidt of Atom? Whoever it is, Vai’s sound is very dry, compact and tight. Only four or five elements with no real percussion working here to create a warm, melodic space in a deserted soundscape “Get Away From It All” begins with a simple beat and a looping, metallic machine drone. An atonal and harsh buzz saw cuts over the top of the track, lifting over the hazy dark mood of the song. Polyrythmic elements give this an interesting and somewhat challenging listen but fear not; you can leave you calculator in the desk drawer to listen to this one. “Hexagon Phase” (there should be a ban on any IDM or electronica act ever using the word “hexagon” in a title again) begins and ends with a synth brass motif that quickly devolves into arpeggiated glissando notes slipping and sliding away form each other in under a minute. “Ilia Alma Delay” reminds one of Electric Birds debut on Mille Plateaux with the simple riff created by furry sounding synths over the muffled sound of birds and what appears to be someone making balloon animals in a blacksmith shop. An off kilter beat about halfway in brings an unsettling rhythmic element into play. The song is neither difficult nor pleasant to listen but isn’t something you’d fall asleep to. An interesting mix of the ambient and the industrial put to good effect. “Acroma Wind” floats across the stereo field with a vague melody over tiny, metallic drums. What sounds like flies tapping a screen window slowly forms into notes that bounce and flicker about in a scalar pattern. White noise whiffs linger in the background as a pattern emerges, giving the song a sort of path and direction seemingly lacking in the beginning. Defining bass notes briefly arrive only to leave as the track fades out. “Piano Phase” begins with a soupy mix of banjo sounds, wheezing drones and crystalline chimes swirling around each other. It is short but not particularly sweet and contains zero piano sounds.
Son of Idaia is a good mix of ambient electronics and ghostly techno in a dubby, starkly beautiful package. The mysterious Vai has caught our attention and we’re listening for more. Recommended.
Son of Idaia is available on Holger.
