seven

this compilation is a first release from on records - a label in netherlands specializing in electro and experimental music. four tracks presented on the vinyl come from well-established musicians in the genre, resulting in the lineup that makes this record bound to be noticed.

side a of the vinyl is excellent - both eu and l'usine match each other perfectly, second side with funckarma and eog is not as impressive, falling short of quiet deep melancholy of side a, and never reaching the dramatic intensity I have always loved them for.

eu's "boloto" (russian for "swamp") is dark melancholic track in the usual vein of these masters of russian electronica - fuzzy, liquid pulses, tiny melodic keys and overall constantly shuffling, unstable atmosphere that does create this foggy murky feel of the early morning in the woods with its mysterious sounds and objects blurring at the distance. I do like the pace of this composition - quietly advancing, mesmerizing with its blend of organic and electronic sounds, immersing into its deep ambience punctuated with sparse beats. for me eu always represented this wonderful afterglow of christmas eve, when the place is quiet and deserted, and only few lights sparkle in the darkness now and then; distant clinking of toys and rustle of the christmas tree seems to come from nowhere.

anton price remixes "approaching the entity frequency" by l'usine. the track so perfectly matches preceding eu - it starts out with long quiet interlude that seems to continue "boloto"'s theme, quietly toying with fleeting atonal noises and very minimal delicate keys. at some point it is nothing more than a few gentle keys glittering in the darkness, a perfect intermission before the first beat drops, much in the vein of current l'usine material, perfectly timed with a slight delay for the added weight, accompanied by fuzzy small noises. from then on the track carries on with this elegant downtempo groove, lingering for a moment on each beat, sliding forward with a pulse of a deep bassline.

the tempo picks up slightly with funckarma's "shape" on side b. as with newer funckarma material, it flows quietly, building the melody seemingly disconnected from stuttering, syncopated percussion that never breaks out into more prominent beats. the first part of the track seems to be strangely timid, as if not knowing how to develop, which path to take.

finally eog brings in a caustic heavy percussion contrasted by quiet drawn-out pauses - a familiar combination. a bit chaotic, a bit disjointed, it seems to round off the buildup that started with the first track.

although there are no new names to be discovered on this record, it is the essence of refinement and selection, and quite a promising statement from a new label. those of you that are as obsessive collectors as we are, would have to put yet another item on their shopping list.