Track listing:
number one dog - analog freebase
dj spooky - the fourth inversion
adam pierce - logic (parts 1 & 2)
the dylan group - time displacement (black hole version)
n2o - kung fu illbient grip
squelch - going for a walk
bob brass - slippybop
frank heiss - organic pastry
the dylan group - time displacement (life cycle version)
dylan & adam 1.
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A solid compilation at the frontier of today's electronic music landscape, with many more styles and sub-styles than adjectives to describe them.
The first three tracks are of the beatless, sample based type, varying from chaotic (analog freebase) to lush (logic part 1) to flute mad (2nd half of the fourth inversion); part 2 of logic is a solid, sparse groove that is predominantly bass, drums, & random mellow sounds.
Then comes the most surprising tune on the track - the dylan group's first rendition of 'time displacement'. The first three minutes are a few sampled vibe tones which degenerate into cacophony which is punctured by clicky drum machine sounds somewhere in the middle before returning back to home base. Incredibly minimalist, but intriguing.
Kung fu illbient grip is the most uptempo number on the disc, venturing into alternate time signatures with a driving bass throughout. Squelch's going for a walk is a distorted, delay heavy sample fest of presumably NYC street sounds; Slippybop is synth chord heavy tune with beats that almost hearken back to the 80s, but still sound fresh; and organic pastry is an analog heavy beatless thing full of filter 'wah's.
And then we hit the dopest # on the track, fundamentally different than its previous, minimalist incarnation - time displacement (life cycle version). Merely a drum set and a mind-blowing vibe riff for 11 minutes, it nevertheless manages to take the listener on an incredible journey thanks to subtle alterations in the vibe phrase as well as some INCREDIBLE syncopated drumming. Fans of Tortoise would slip into this number quite easily.
The journey concludes with some more live-drum based, distorted, spacious stuff.
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Congrats to bubblecore on putting out a CD that convinced this listener that there are still many more holes in the musical landscape to fill. Fans of Jamiroquai, beware -
Jay B