seven

Based around a collaboration between James Plotkin and Celluloïd Mata's Matthieu Maire (later expanding to include Yves & Marie Daubert and Sheila Mata), the Trifid Project is certainly one of the more intriguing and unique releases I've heard of late, which seems to be an important trend with the young Vacuum label.

A woman stifling laughter as she methodically recites what sounds like the alphabet over strange, persistent rhythms and light, feedback driven hums opens the disc on "Rubber Chick." This is not dissimilar from the oddly feminine, robotic sounding female voice, really detached and indifferent, that narrates the abstract "Alice" in French. Steady, cackling beats are intertwined with interesting percussive samples that sound like my kitchen when I get bored doing the dishes late at night.

"Zickzack" is the least accessible track on the disc, shrill tones alternating between a monstrously heavy, slow motion, abrasive, crashing beat. It stands apart from the other pieces and has a very strange atmosphere to it. "The Nine," on the other hand, features some nice strings and a smooth bass guitar tightly looping over processed beats that sound like the wet, meat-slap punches in lame action movies. A vaguely ominous backdrop of subtle melodies adds a slightly unsettling tinge to the song, but all in all it's quite catchy.

Each track has an entirely different mood, which is emphasized with the brief, soothing ambient closer "Nebula," and though the disc is only 22 minutes long it sounds very complete. Highly recommended.