AstroLogical Living Fossils (Jellyfish Recordings)

In true, firstly I discovered AstroLogical`s Living Fossils as 5-track EP under Bubblectro label. At the other, Jellyfish Recordings it has grown into a 11-track monster. AstroLogical is an emcee/producer from Vancouver, Canada conveying a kind of cinematic-inflected blend of hip-hop and nu-jazz and just laidback music. It is mightily sampledelic, filled in the concept with dynamic samples of exuberant brass sound, lone string chords, dusty sounds of old keyboards, and suggestive vocal samples, sometimes backed even by powerpop punches (Mother Nature) and dark-hued smog. No doubt, such kind of music has been very popular in recent days as I have earlier introduced the bands like Metawon, Bram Nelson, Kämmerer, The Dirty Samples, Cheese People, Pretty Lights, Mentz among others. And labels by the likes of Humanworkshop, Neferiu and Tokyo Dawn Records as well. My favorite notches on the recent issue are Mustard Evening, Headhunters Melody and Rush Of Colour. All in all, at the most times Living Fossils is a playful occurrence.

Listen to it here

8.8

cerBlc :NoMean Yes (Bubblectro)

The German musician Christian Vogel suggested in the Wire magazine approximately 6 years ago that by his option he would close all the recent electronic musicians into a locked room with some recorders and tapes. Tommy Smurthwaite aka cerBlc has apparently no problems with the presumptions of perceiving of early electronic music and its complicated technic approach and historic specificity. Moreover, he has played in different rock groups, including being punk (indeed, genuine punks have always loved dance music).

Here are represented only two tracks (Hongu; Yusus) being inspired by 90`s electronic music, yet, having no strong appeal toward dance floor and more generally by the past of music. Hongu is a psychedelic, sample(delic)-based shuffle incorporating the elements of hip-hop scratches and cool jazz elements. Yusus is an example of brain-focused motorik alchemy, reminding of Autechre`s early workouts first of all. In a more concrete way, strongly stomping rhythms are blended with atmospheric IDM-esque under/uppercurrents, showcasing the close liaison between earth and heaven.

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8.7

[Old but important] Retrigger Jeanie & Caroline Album (Psicotropicodelia)

This album of 15 tracks sounds as a maelstrom of styles and sounds, veering from electro-rock, psychedelia, samplecore and fusion to creepy chiptune/8-bit shreds, joyous brass music and library music/space age pop samples. Indeed, it might be seemed as a kind of weird compilation compiled by diverse artists from here and there. Yet, Jeanie & Caroline Album is a brainchild by the one and only musician Raul Costa from Brazil who firstly released it under the title Jeanie & Caroline at Ego Twister in 2007. Now it is empowered by three more tracks including the huge LIVE at neverland (MixSetBonus). More concretely, on this publication Costa is intended to convey heavy guitar riffs, bubblegum-pumped big-beat paces, sublime doo wop, trashing surf pop, caustic synth glimpses and catchy brass fields, sometimes reminding of the Saint Petersbourg`s combo Messer Chups by its slightly mocking manner regarding the attitude against pop cliches or the French combo Juanitos by its stabbing blend of psychedelia, surf pop and brass attacks. On the other side, paying a tribute to the early electro pop experiments by The Silver Apples as well. Sometimes the tracks glide into the easiness of chillout pop, exploiting in half-transparent way some well-known pop motives (for example, Edward Grieg`s Peer Gynt). Indeed, the whole is a bulimic attack yet it is a sort of refreshing sonic binge first of all.

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Dmitriy Rodionov Experience - Invisible Parts of Absurd Images (Noecho)

Since 1999 the Russian guitarist Dmitriy Rodionov has recorded lots of albums, having revealed his sympathies on diverse record techniques and sound collages. His recent, 3-track album (initially recorded in 1999) kicks off proceeding with mystical poem snippets and dense electrified drone (in fact, the issue will be finished off in the same vein). In between it is fulfilled with the effects of reverse guitars, another kind of spoken word, dark ambient shreds, unclassified sonic dust, and cock-eyed guitar jams. A solid cutting edge work, reminding of some Muhmood`s (guitar and spoken word) work and the two collaboration results made out by Alexei Rafiev & Alexei Borisov (mysterious spoken word/poetry).

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9.2

Metawon & The Dirty Samples Toothface Swaggerfoot (Neferiu)

Who has previously had some experiences with Neferiu Records, a label from Calgary, Canada, this must know what kind of warped hip-hop turnabouts and urban trash could be expected for. A sort of hip-hop music which does evaluate more its sonic backdrops rather than manifesting vocal parts. Moreover, Toothface Swaggerfoot is in principle more for you if you have never cared of the different kind of rap music, for example, especially of gangsta rap which is used to talk to you in speech of women, guns, cars and tough guys. If the gangstas` message is used to just letting you shrugging your shoulders and their sonic backgrounds are obviously turned out to be colourless on its own.

Metawon and The Dirty Samples, the previously themselves proved gearheads, do make up a split which consists of 28 basically short hip-hop blasts, having suffused shuffling cadences with really cinematic samples in the first place. Secondly, the musicians are deeply involved in the realm of funk, jazz/downbeat, brass-orchestrated stabbings and soulful suggestions. On the third side, here can be hearded more weird turns at times, for instance, the space age pop samples reminiscent of Mort Garson, a cult Canuck from the 70s. All in all, a superb accomplishment representing a refreshing hip-hop approach.

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9.7

[Old but important] Birds Build Nests Underground Cold Dreams (KlaNGundKraCH)

Birds Build Nests Underground is a profilic duo consisting of Michal Brunclík and Petr Ferenc who had used turntables, vinyl records and loops for a pair of tracks to be improvised and recorded at home in winter 2008. Cold Dreams is relied upon lopsided soundscapes and propelling centrepoints for aspiring toward a new sonority via weird and dystopic effects. By having exploited lots of vinyl records in the recent case the issue (subsequently over 40 minutes) does hint at ancient symphonic samples, psychedelically repetitive sonic units, electro-acoustic-alike crackling hisses. In fact, this is an album where old touch meets new one and analogue formation meets digital approach. Indeed, Cold Dreams is a case of turntablism which is impressed via unexpected prevarications and dodges. No doubt, if you have listened to some music by Philip Jeck, Martin Tetreault or Christian Marclay or the kind of someone else, however, you should be experienced with the sort of "perverted language". An interesting accomplishment and different view about the (pop) music.

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[Artists] Crookram

Crookram
Bankrupt Recordings
Budabeats
Lastfm

Crookram Through Windows (Budabeats/Bankrupt)

Yesterday as a whole day was quite nervous, nothwithstanding (or because of) I had crammed up lots of guitar-based and machine-created releases into and overhead my head. On the other side, at the very ending of the day Crookram`s sophomore issue being recorded after 2008`s 19/76 (in the meantime, the joint EP Escape by Crookram and Sagesse was issued as well) offered vital change at a different point of view. 19 tracks of less than 53-minute duration by the Netherlands-based musician are crisscrossed via cinematic samples obviously derived from the Mediterranean culture room, more concretely, reminiscent the workouts by the likes of Caravelli, Mauriat, and Morricone, being finely accomplished by funky fusion-infused bass lines, hip-hop echoes, which, sometimes, will turn into Stereolab-alike electronic indie tunes via nailon-stringed bass gears, subtly overfloating orchestrated proceedings and vibraphone-embellished frames. Moreover, it is an idiosyncratic chilled out electronic pop where, for instance, ukulele`s (sample-approved) appearance can be happened in the same picture with sampledelic electronic hoverings and otherworldly charged chants. The album Through Windows, one of the favouritest of 2010, is released on the records Budabeats and Bankrupt, respectively.

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9.4

Steven Porter Vacu Sessions 3 (Vacu Sessions)

The first and last time when I reviewed an artist (Sturqen) under the label/blog/community Vacu Sessions, I mentioned then the label is "obviously from Finland". Actually it is the Portugal-based label, having been offering solid help for soundscapes classified between music and non-music (or a peripheric side of music) to be surfaced again and again.

Steven Porter is an artist`s pseudonym behind which are hidden Yuji Kondo, and Katsunori Sawa from Kyoto, Japan. Lots of things will be happened in those 27 minutes of one track recorded in Honen-in Temple. The issue is fulfilled with a lot of turns, breaks and variable gears shifting forward and back and having its irritating outputs through effervescent facets, however, thereby it is not wrong to be considered the whole a kind of radiophonic art, for instance. More detailly, besides the chopped-and-cut-up singing at the beginning the entries of opera singers and baroque-esque wraiths are intentionally represented here, bringing forth an emotion-loaded side. On the other side, the basic core is carried along on musique concrete-infused electro-acoustic overthrows which side-effects will be developing and channelized into broadening yet intense buzzscapes and desolate industrial ambiences. In a word, it is an interesting, open-minded construction through the forging of diverse genres and evoking of wide-scale perceptions.

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9.2

Park Bench Trauma Nix (Paragrafo)

My pleasure is to announce that the new label Parafago (obviously from the South America) has been available since the beginning of December, having reached for 3 albums to be released already. In any cases, its first notch by Park Bench Trauma (stupid yet witty name, isn`t?) is bounded up with stroking contradictions and peripheric sonic manifestos. 11 tracks could just be summed up as a mashup activity, for instance, reminiscent of the vast scale of sample/stylistic exploitation by Stock, Hausen & Walkmen. First off, although it consists of 11 tracks the time is quite limited for. Once again, as it is cued yet it is a very strange mess-up veering from electroacoustic/psychoacoustic/old school industrial/witch house-drenched nihilism and austere sound art to likely irony-filled sporadic pop numbers of classical music-based avant-garde, latin rhythms, spoken word, and electronic pop. No doubt, one of them The Neon Bible is a great pop standout, though I don`t know is it the original oeuvre or beatific outtake from elsewhere. Indeed, the anonymity of PBT is its distinct sign, thereby giving no possibility for different kind of side-effects to be surfaced sometime. In fact, there is just the case about music regarding its genuine position to be retained.

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8.4

Cagey House Major Monk (Black Square)

Avant-garde music veteran Dave Keifer aka Cagey House is back with an having-no-idea-which-album-it-could-be-in-queue release. Because of the high quality of his albums and the uncompromising intention for perfection, Cagey House`s follow-ups are very anticipated. Keifer started off producing music on the FruityLoops-based manipulations but later has found its fondness in sampling processing. In fact, he has issued 2 albums in the near future - Major Monk, and The Stupid Grin (under Sayonara).

In fact, the first three tracks - the seven ones in total - on Major Monk were completed in the beginning of 2009 already. The American musician had used lots of vocal samples to bring forth a suggestive narrative (he has even designed a dialogue relied upon a couple). The first-off Preliminary Major Champion Monk embarks on entering into an appalling radiophonic territory. On the other hand, regarding Keifer `s doings in last years the opening does not make an extraordinary feeling, though. (For instance, check it out for his masterpiece set Lark). As a king of the sampledelic(plunderphonics/cut and paste/sound collage music, he is still used to dive into the abyss of linear composing schemes where one sample is deliberately followed by another, having dosed an witty collation of chords to get deeply into a listener's inner world. On the other side, however, every key/key change on it regarding somehow emotions is charged up in different shape and amount thereby I can imagine it might even be a kind of frightening music for some listeners. By speaking in a more concrete way the soundscape is wrapped in by a poignant environment, dusty antiquity, much of it played out on Keifer`s big hype upon theremin (at least keen to its samples, indeed). The third and fourth track do deviate from the main concept of an unexpected but welcome direction so far. It comes out as if the like of Laetitia Sadier (McCarthy; Stereolab; Monade) is attended therein for to feature with Moog-relied backdrops thereby conveying a mild psychedelic-drenched dimensionality over to the soundscape. The next number Basement returns to the initial situation via "trampling and scraping things" (by Keifer`s own words). All you can be witnessing subsequently here is a mixed-up array of clicks and bleeps, otherwordly effusing sonic patterns of programmed toys, sole trombone blasts, and psychedelic shades as well. To get finished it off, you shall have to look at the excellent coverprint of Major Monk, purposefully amplifying the sonorous impression of it - and vice versa. In fact, it is just the pleasure to perceive it as a whole.

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9.5

[Artistid] PierrotheMoon

PierrotheMoon
Pavillon36 Recordings
The Studio Stereo
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] Malim

Recycling Records
Myspace
Lastfm

Cagey House Major Monk (Black Square)

Netimuusika veteranist avangardist Dave Keifer aka Cagey House on tagasi järjekorras ma-ei-tea-mitmenda väljalaskega. (Järjekorranumbreid ma ei mäleta, kuid albumite headust küll). Õieti reliisis ta lähiajal 2 taiest - käesolevale lisaks ka "The Stupid Grin"-i (Sayonara).

Kolm esimest "Major Monk"-i rada (kokku seitse) valmisid juba 2009. aasta alul. Ameeriklane kasutas vokaalsämpleid, et tekitada mingilgi määral narratiivseid assotsiatsioone (ta on koguni konstrueerinud dialoogi mehe ja naise vahel). Sissejuhatav Champion Major Monk algab kui sisenemine õõvatekitavasse raadiokuuldemängu. Teisalt, Keifer`i viimaseid aastaid arvestades ei ole see erakordne (nt "Lark"). Sämplikunnina kasutab ta jätkuvalt lineaarseid komponeerimisskeeme, kus sämpel järgneb sämplile, nr. 2 kannatlikult nr.1-le. Doseerib mõõdukalt, s.t vaimukalt, leides sisendi kuulaja emotsioonidega suhestumiseks. Iseasi on muidugi see, et iga helialge on emotiivselt erinevalt laetud, mistõttu kuulaja võib isegi ehmatuse osaliseks saada. Lisaks võttestikule on ka helid üsna sarnased - kriipiv happelisus, tolmune arhailisus, ning seda suuresti armastusele theremini helide vastu. Kolmas ja neljas rada muudavad senist kontseptsiooni ootamatus, kuid tervitatavas suunas. Sulnid sündisaundid - nagu Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab, Monade) mängiks Moog`i taustaks - annavad Cagey House`i muusikale uue - malbe psühhedeelia - mõõtme. The Basement Number - kus Keifer enda sõnul "hõõrus, trampis ja kraapis asju" - taastub esialgne olukord. Lõputud klikid-klakid, mulinad-lalinad, üleskeeratavate asjade-lelude helid, tromboonitörtsutamised ning taaskord sisse juhatatud psühhedeelne helikude sulgevad teose. Ning taaskord tuleb Dave`i kiita suurepärase coverprint`i eest. Visuaalne mulje tugevdab kuuldut - ning vastupidi. Lihtsalt nauding on tajuda seesugust tervikut.

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9.5

John E. Flash Der Usurpatorkomplex (Autark)

John E. Flash`i debüütalbumi kirjeldamiseks ei ole palju sõnu-ridu tarvis. 9-looline demonstreerib valdavalt sulnilt looklevat elektroonilist helikeelt, kus sädelevad IDM-rütmid sulanduvad ning vahelduvad monotoonsema click`n`cut-esteetika ning vaevu tumedaid varje heitvate süntesaatoritega, ning korra ka ripsutades tiiba dub`i (Vol de nuit) ning field recording/sound collage`iga (Flora & Fauna). "Võimuärastaja kompleksi" -i tugevaimateks träkkideks on eelpoolnimetatule lisaks ka sädelev One Five Six.

Kokkuvõttes tuleb nentida, et "Der Usurpatorkomplex" peegeldab (Kesk-Euroopale nii iseloomulikku) dekadentlikku ja turvalist elektroonilist õukonnamuusikat, mis teisalt - ning sama(de)l põhjus(t)el - omab ka kindlat kvaliteeti. Huvipakkuv üllitis kindlasti neile, kes peavad lugu elektroonilistest Mozart`itest.

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7.4

[Artistid] Australian Tropical Stinger Research Unit

Australian Tropical Stinger Research Unit
Myspace
Lastfm

[Kogumik] Friendship Bracelet Club

Kui otsite uusi kogumikke, et avastada kaunist muusikat, uusi suundumusi - teisisõnu, innovaatilisi ideid ja ristandeid, siis kindlasti peaksite ette võtma Friendship Bracelet Club`i nime kandvad helikandjad. Mida kõike nendelt kuulda ei või - käesoleval, kõige esimesel kogumikul alustab Family Portrait kuldajastu rock`n`roll`i ja garage rock`i ristamisega, siinkirjutaja viimase poole aasta üks armastatumaid leide Wonder Wheel rokib shoegaze`i ekstaatilises pohmeluses, tõestades järjekordselt ja ilmekalt, et hetkel puuduvad talle kingapõrnitsemismaailmas vastased. Kui ainult välja arvata Big Troubles, kes teeb kahinatega toorest ja väga valju noise shoegaze`i. Kuulake nende lugu Drastic and Difficult kõrvaklappidest täiel võimsusel - uskumatu distortion-halleluuja! My Bloody Valentine ei rokkinud kunagi nii valjult plaatidel, küll aga väikestes klubides (veendusin selles YouTube`i vahendusel). Autopsy segab kokteiliks hip-hop`i ja soul`i põhjad, tõsi, mis lõpptulemusena ei paku väga uut, samas jäämata verevaeseks katsetuseks. Shahs loob osaliselt Wolf Eyes`i ja Black Dice`i stiilis metalset ja nurgelist noise`n`dance`i, Paralyze Humanity Sequence serveerib unistuslikku big beat`i - Hammock on kaheldamatult albumi üks tipphetki, Dem Hunger on esindatud kahe looga, miksides need eriilmelistest osadest koosnevaks tervikuks, Kitchen's Floor kõlab nagu kultuslik prog/zeuhl-ansambel Magma oleks punk-dieedil. Fluffy Lumbers on püünel psühhedeelselt lainetava fuzz rock`iga. Lisaks on veel siin baroque electro-käkki (LA), kaasakiskuvat electro-indie-tralli, mis vägagi meenutab The Fall`i 90ndaid (Norse Horse), happelist sündidraivi lo-fi nurga alt (Sad City), noir`likku slowcore`i (Jeans Wilder). Julian Lynch ja Phil and the Osophers`i stiilinäited jäägu Teie endi avastada.

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1-Speed Bike Pashto Translator Needed (Bandcamp)

Hiljuti läbis maailma muusikapressi uudis, et Godspeed You! Black Emperor tuleb 7-aastase pausi järel taas kokku, aasta alul üllitas GY!BE juhtliikmetest koosnev A Silver Mt. Zion oma kuuenda täispika ning GY!BE ja Exhaust`i trummar Aidan Girt aka Bottleskup Flenkenkenmike sai 1-Speed Bike`i kehastuses maha seitsmenda albumiga.

Kuivõrd “Pashto Translator Needed” on visuaalselt kaetud John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone kehastuses) näopildiga, märksõnadeks on Afganistan ja Iraak ning lood kannavad Läänemaailma suhtes mõnitavaid tiitleid, siis pole kahtlustki, kuhu suunas anarhistist montrèallane sihib. See on suunatud sõjategevuse vastu Iraagis ja Afganistanis. Nagu Girt ise küsib (ja ka vastab): “Mis on see sõda? Nad ise väidavad, et nende eesmärgiks on vabastada naised, võidelda narkootikumide ja terrorismiga, kuid naised on veel halvemas olukorras kui Taliban`i ajal, oopiumikogused on kolmekordistunud ning ei ole võimalik võita taktikalise sõjapidamise vastu võideldes”. Muuseas, tüüp palub loos Steve Earle Number One Taliban Commander otsesõnu Kanada ja Quebec`i rahva nimel vabandust segaduse põhjustamise pärast Afganistanis.

Mahukas, 71-minutiline ja 16-looline "Pashto Translator Needed" on segu poliitiliselt sarkastilisest sõna- ja tähenduste seadmisest ning fragmentaalsest elektroonilisest muusikast - elektrobiidid- ja piiksud, (pseudo) hip-hop, digitaalsed soul funk-vidinad, elektroonilised heliefektid, mis, tõsi, ei suuda siiski reliisi käima tõmmata. Erinevate elementide vahele ei sugene sünergiat, seaded jäävad veidi kuivaks-kriipivaks, eraldiseisvateks ja üheülbalisteks. Ainsana väärivad esiletõstmist Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle (Found Magazine tape from Ypsilanti Parking Lot Remix) ja Grrrls Look Good In Canada And Afghanistan (feat Mr Badman) - motoorsete electro-hop`i põhjadega käilad. Pluss Hotboxing The LAV May Protect You From The IEDs - kõmisevate bassipõhjade ning peapööritust tekitava saundskeibiga rida. Tõepoolest, superkäilad, mis toovad albumile värskendavat tuulutust. Teisalt, manifesto-elektroonikana täidab üllitis oma eesmärki küll.

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6.8

[Vana ning oluline] Volumina Ciencia Ficción (Peppermill)

Benjamin Zàrate aka Volumina on järjekordne kinnitus veendumusele, et hetkel löövad latiinod-segaverelised tugevate elektrooniliste mõjudega avant-indie`s laineid. Ühemeheprojektid nagu Neon Indian, MillionYoung, Toro Y Moi ning Wonder Wheel (viimane postitas oma Myspace´i leheküljele traktaadi tuleviku popmuusika tehnilistest võtetest) loovad 21. sajandi teise kümnendi popkehandit. Chillwave/glo-fi, shoegaze, dream pop, lo-fi, psühhedeelia ja elektrooniline tantsumuusika on siiani olnud peamised vahendid, milledest on uusi muusikalisi universume vormitud.

“Ciencia Ficción” on mehhiklase järg samal, st 2009. aastal ilmunud debüütalbumile “This Is Our Home, Please Come In!” (mõlemad üllitatud Kanada leibli Peppermill all). Seos ei ole üksnes kronoloogiline – harmooniatest-meloodiatest laetud indietronica/electro-indie hüljatakse enamuses ning täidetakse ja segatakse avant-proge/zeuhl`i, 60ndate-70ndate kummituskogumike helide ja space age pop-mullistuste kollaažiks. Justkui Mort Garson-abielupaar Barron`id ja Magma-Eskaton leiutanuks oma tippaegadel ajamasina ning maabunuks kolm-neli kümnendit hilisemasse aegruumi. Paraja koguse müstika ja ängiga segatud teatraalne element ajab kombitsad kuulaja alateadvusesse. Näituseks vastupandamatud ava- ja lõpurada.

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Canoply Games Phantoms (Jamendo)

Canoply Games on Siberi mehe Platon Terentjev`i sooloprojekt - kui kuidagigi CG muusika põhituuma kirjeldada, siis võiks rääkida avangardistliku kaldega sündimuusikast. Ei, Bratski noorsandi inspiratsiooniallikad ei asu new wave`s, vaid industrial-muusikas, mürarohkes no wave-harus, Mike Patton`i cutting edge-esteetikas pluss tumedaid varje armastavas ambient-kontseptsioonides. Eredaimaks eksemplariks on "Cthulhucore" (2009, Jamendo), mis tagus armutult free jazz`i ja avant-industrial`i rauda sound collage`i meetodil.

"Phantoms" kummitab teistmoodi - helipoeesia kaudu. On tsiteeritud-esitatud lõike rohkem- ja vähemtuntud kirjanike - Hemingway, Brodski, Murakami, Hrenova ja Košin`i - poeemidest. Esiteks, teatraalne miljöö - piaanomuusika, kammerlik elektroonika, "tõsimeelsed" maneristlikud heliefektid; teisalt, loos We loose touch with our own consciousness ei häbeneta drum`n`bass`i rütmi laenata. Eating a mix of concrete and oil on üks suur lõikav progesööst. Tõepoolest, huvitavaid heliühikuid-sämplijuppe on teisigi, samas informatsioonihulga doseerimine ja jaotamine on lahendatud ebaühtlaselt ning pealtnäha sihitult - kord pealevalguvad digitaalsed müralained - mis jäävad väheveenvaks -, teisalt palistab helipilti hõredus, mis kokkuvõttes kõlab ühe halliseguse ollusena. Piltlikult - nagu see nägu konkreetse üllitise coverprint`il.

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6.5