Top drawer 6-tracker from Martin Abrahamsson on the second release for the
Swedish New Speak imprint. Opening number 'Seagull' evokes an icy coolness
with it's emotive strings and sparse rhythms and sets the stall out for
the rest of the EP. 'Machina' is somewhat reminiscent of Aphex Twin's 'On'
with crashing, dirty bass drums and distorted claps juxtaposed with a delicate
melody. Standout track for me is the marvellous 'Cold Mittens'. With a
simple guitar riff provided by Yellow 6, combined with very simple
rhythmic percussion and an aching refrain, this is the most lovingly created piece
of electronica I've heard in ages.
On the B-side, 'Quasi Jazz' is a real melange of styles with hip-hop
beats, ragga-style bass and electronic elements all clashing to make a
head-nodder which becomes a bit of a chin-stroker as the titular jazzy features come
into play. 'Roid Bline' is pure space-age electronica with clicks, whirrs
and white noise mixed with hea,vy bass and a haunting tune. And finally,
the title track closes this record and what a fine piece of epic orchestral
music it is too. Beatless but beautiful, it's a suitable epilogue.
This really is a fantastic record and is a must-have for fans of the
Boards, Christ and Skam. Expect to hear more from both Bauri and New Speak.
Reviewed by Sean Keltie
|
