electronic / ambient / downtempo
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This album has been spooking through my mind for a while now. Big names were thrown in in order to promote it, or just to mention that there is a skilled artist behind the music, one who has been touring with Heather Nova, Martina Topley-Bird and Suede’s Brett Anderson. Anderson seems to be a big fan, describing Scatter Factory's music as “"beautiful stuff”". Will Foster, the man behind this project, has been a touring member for The Fratellis and has been active in the art-pop band Delicatessen and Lodger. All that praise is perfectly fine, but at the end of the day, all that matters is how the album sounds. I mean, you can be an absolute synth wizard but if you're music is boring, it's boring.
Well, this music is definitely not boring. A few weeks ago, we already announced the gloomy dancefloor filler 'Out The Blocks' (read), a track that reminded me of something between Suicide, No More and Kraftwerk. Yes, minimal electronic music, seemingly coming straight from the eighties. But there is way more than that to be found. While 'Out The Blocks' might have been a song on the 'New Wave Club Classix' compilations, other tracks dive right into the world of drones, ambient and neoclassical piano arrangements. Opener 'Catatonic Voyage' is a massive piece of dark, gritty ambient, a bit haunting and terrifying maybe.
I don't mind, I like haunting and terrifying.
'Scatter'd' comes up with the neoclassical elements, along with some neat electronics. At this time acts like Bersarin Quartett come to mind. Again, I don't mind, I like. Then 'Out The Blocks' starts, turning the album into a vintage electronic dance machine. Yet, right after that 'Sheepish Hello' shows another heap of electronic experimentalism. This is another odd and spooky tune. 'Spartan Missile' and 'PowWow' return the electronic percussion, downtempo this time. Once again I'm reminded of Bersarin Quartett but also Boards Of Canada comes to mind, Bonobo too.
Three more songs to go. It looks like this is going to be another song-by-song description. That's what you get with interesting and well-varied albums, I guess. 'Plains Awash' and Not There Yet (and it's getting dark) showcase more darkness, more minimal beats, more eerie drones, like Vangelis in a melancholic mood, frightened at times. The album even takes a nudges towards neo classical post-rock in closer 'Mea Culpa', opening with piano and slowly building. An excellent closing track for a swingeing album.
So yeah, I think the big names used to promote this album are quite justified, not necessarily needed, because the music on this album is certainly good enough to sell on its own. In fact, I like this one more than any of the names I mentioned in the opening paragraph, but don't tell them.
Serge
Well, this music is definitely not boring. A few weeks ago, we already announced the gloomy dancefloor filler 'Out The Blocks' (read), a track that reminded me of something between Suicide, No More and Kraftwerk. Yes, minimal electronic music, seemingly coming straight from the eighties. But there is way more than that to be found. While 'Out The Blocks' might have been a song on the 'New Wave Club Classix' compilations, other tracks dive right into the world of drones, ambient and neoclassical piano arrangements. Opener 'Catatonic Voyage' is a massive piece of dark, gritty ambient, a bit haunting and terrifying maybe.
I don't mind, I like haunting and terrifying.
'Scatter'd' comes up with the neoclassical elements, along with some neat electronics. At this time acts like Bersarin Quartett come to mind. Again, I don't mind, I like. Then 'Out The Blocks' starts, turning the album into a vintage electronic dance machine. Yet, right after that 'Sheepish Hello' shows another heap of electronic experimentalism. This is another odd and spooky tune. 'Spartan Missile' and 'PowWow' return the electronic percussion, downtempo this time. Once again I'm reminded of Bersarin Quartett but also Boards Of Canada comes to mind, Bonobo too.
Three more songs to go. It looks like this is going to be another song-by-song description. That's what you get with interesting and well-varied albums, I guess. 'Plains Awash' and Not There Yet (and it's getting dark) showcase more darkness, more minimal beats, more eerie drones, like Vangelis in a melancholic mood, frightened at times. The album even takes a nudges towards neo classical post-rock in closer 'Mea Culpa', opening with piano and slowly building. An excellent closing track for a swingeing album.
So yeah, I think the big names used to promote this album are quite justified, not necessarily needed, because the music on this album is certainly good enough to sell on its own. In fact, I like this one more than any of the names I mentioned in the opening paragraph, but don't tell them.
Serge
