Milieu

Cod.coq is the latest release by Hungarian sound designer Nicron, released on the Complementary Distribution netlabel. Nicron also runs a competition in which he gives out audio from his previous compositions, that are then remixed by musicians who compete to be included on a CD of the best remixes. You can download all such entries and more of Nicron’s work on his site, Porousher.hu.

Cod.coq is a collection of four tracks that span a slice of Nicron’s aesthetic sphere, from the noisy and complex to pieces with more recognisable contemporary electronic musical influences. The first track, Transfer5, is something of a sonic sculpture. Atonal, intricate, evolving - akin to Autechre’s Gantz Graf. Despite feeling twisted and distorted, it never reaches moments of aggression, and this feeling is reciprocated by the other tracks on Cod.coq. Transfer2 feels like an extension of Transfer5, but uses more obvious and familiar rhythms and compositional devices.

Transfer7 and 8 introduce very solid rhythmic backgrounds that are built upon over the duration of the tracks, reaching climactic points that feel well-timed. Transfer8 feels as if there’s a strong element of improvisation than the other tracks, and sounds are cleverly reintroduced or mimicked from previous tracks.

Nicron sits in that niche space between electronica and contemporary music, much unloved in the mainstream, but appreciated by anyone with the patience to listen.

There’s a storm brewing at the Beatismurder netlabel, in the form of a new remix compilation: bim04, I look pretty different when I’m alone (download the original here: bim02, Bruspi - I look pretty when I’m alone)

These tracks are jarring, noisy, yet perfectly well-formed and nicely produced. Some of them veer away quite drastically from the originals, although often to great effect. International beat is redrum, remixed by Formant has elements that remind me of recent noisy breakbeat tracks I’ve heard over the last few years in a few London clubs. Catchy, bassy, glitchy, yet solid. Rom-rem, by Legoego and Where are you by Yeah Pretty Boy slow it down a bit, but still have a similar noisy aesthetic approach. Some tracks allow a little of the rock/punk/indy roots to show through, almost reminiscent of At The Drive-In here and there (listen to Guitars for instance, and bizarrely Versabugs is a little bit like Helmet).

I’m going to leave you with Where are you on my podcast, though, which really caught my attention. I could listen to a whole album of this. And check out Liger - The Infra-ordinary (bim03) for something a little more gentle, but incredibly beautiful.

Silo Romano - Pollyanna EP, released on Experimedia, is another collection that strafes between ambience and electronica. What is particularly interesting about Pollyanna is the blend of futuristic and post-apocalyptic backdrops with warm analogue synths. Circoil and Skybox are both strong examples of this aesthetic approach. Also, O’Dell favours hip-hop derived drums that don’t usually break, and then layers other electronic percussion using various tactics, giving a drive and dimension to tracks and space to let their ambience flow around them.

Pollyanna has many tracks that have quite complex timbres, yet O’Dell is capable of delivering catchy melodies convincingly. He also skilfully arranges tracks without relying too much on bland repetition. Remote Listener is very, very reminiscent Boards of Canada, so I assume they’ve infuenced O’Dell to an extent. Unlike many Boards of Canada fans who figure out how to operate soft synths, however, O’Dell has actually made something interesting and witty. Silo Telecom Inc returns to the slightly future/retro approach of the other tracks. There’s a tape hiss, 70s retro subtractive synths, and Mo Wax-esque drums that judder into existence and a cinematic, distorted string section in the background. The last track, The Plan Was Found is another nicely arranged track, and has unique moments worth looking out for.

Judging by the quality of the mastering, varied instrumentation and samples, Dustin O’Dell has worked hard on Pollyanna. And you could always go over to the Silo Romano forum and have a chat if you want to find out more.