Experimental Electronic Music
The duo flex melodic fibers and braindance shards over a wide spectrum with funky beats, synaptic pulses, and fluttering synths. Their capacity to produce squelchy, nearly lifelike shapes is equally susceptible to deformation in the form of elastic vibrations
Some may have given up dreaming, but not me—and three years later I’m more than happy to say that the patience paid off. Henry & Gerald take their rightful place in the studio and with an apparent love of Welsh mountains unleash Twmpa upon us. It’s the perfect mix and balance of classic Yimino and fresh new ideas that one might not have expected from the pair.
Sharp ambient whirs blend in with erratic beatwork and swaying melodic strands that bend at strange angles, while darker shadows accentuate the arrival of precisely timed and densely packed atmospheric elements.
On a first listen, one can recognize distinctive aesthetic elements of Autechre and Plaid. But the deeper you go, the more you assimilate the rich and complex array of sounds and rhythmic deconstruction that rarely follow a pattern.
1..or.2..or.u.chuz’s background soundtrack layers pierce the boundaries of glitch and braindance, which is hidden deep within its jagged fissures.
Another potent assortment of vibrant and well-crafted IDM morsels to savor, brought to you by the consistently dependable People Can Listen label from Minsk, Belarus.
Similar to Richard Devine’s industrial synth-mechanics mixed with the rhythmic crunch-hop of Gescom, lifeisfeedback (aka Benjamin Chilton / Elevator Sound) sets a memorable tone as he opens an account with GOTO.
This LP is as good as current “greatly inspired by classics” IDM gets, because Seph rebrands the dusty futuristic aesthetics of acts like The Black Dog or B12 to turn them into incredibly polished and smooth soundscapes, creating tunes that now sound like they come from 3024 just like the classics did when they came out thirty years ago.
I’m really enamored with how Xylitol always manages to merge these two completely unrelated universes, the almost new age aesthetics with the energy and franticness of the breaks, sometimes to a point where they don’t even merge, rather they seem to be playing separately and turn into a completely overwhelming experience.
Not unexpected, Caring Too Much is a magnetic release that will have us coming back as it exposes top-notch, mind-blowing mayhem.
