Something has happened in the last few years way in the background of electronic music. There’s been this odd pursuit of a minimalist, granular, texturally deep sound. There is a freshness in the sound, this being the equivalent of molecular gastronomy in music; taking sound, breaking it down to simplest terms, then re-compositing it, with mouse clicks and wildly play do’d waveforms (oh Ms. Heap, I hope you don’t mind). This isn’t a sound you can fake, as the fakers have been quickly passed off. This sound isn’t well established though it’s been around for quite awhile; but much like dubstep, this sound is only taking its first steps, but the artists and groups making the sound, each one has a particular stunning feature. Maybe due to the style’s coming of age, I don’t know, but it is as if this sound has some calling card, a watchword, a shibboleth that tells the audience “this truly is the real thing.”
Glitch, which originated in the late 90’s, was quite a curious style initially, for the artists involved with the style literally took the random, sometimes mistaken sounds of electronic devices and instruments and shoe horned them into an arrangement of organized sound. Literally, the beginning of this sound was founded in the flaws of modern music production, reveling in randomness. The music produced was not for the casual listener, put on Telefon Tel Aviv’s earlier works, dntel’s “Life is Full of Possibilities” and you will be quite surprised to see how minimal music can actually get, and how wide the definition of music truly is.
However, there was a quantum leap that was made in the last few years with some artists taking a nearly microscopic view of music, and getting into the nigh science fiction sounding term of “unreal note quantities”. This was partially due to software and hardware improvements in computing and some very forward thinking artists harnessing said improvements, but what it has done is allowed musicians to no longer hear or define music as a 8th notes, or 32th notes, but 128th notes, 256th notes and further down the rabbit hole. Why would you bother? What benefit does this render? Well I’ll tell you.
As the technology and method became apparent that this style of sound would occur, I was very curious to see what would happen with artists who came up listening to the original concept albums of glitch. Where glitch became as a playful twist on the flaws of technology, here, it was being reapplied to a straightjacket approach to music. The requirements of production using granular synthesis is disheartening at best, with huge amounts of work to create minutely small samples that can be stretched and mangled. But aside from the technology and requirements for admission, what would a new style glitch artist be? Not the creators of the sound, but the next generation who carried that particular torch to its next evolutionary state. What I’ve been curious to find are three artists who answer that question very well.
Firstly, is Trifonic, a duo, have taken what has traditionally been a dark and melodically ephemeral style of music, and introduced a style that uses beautiful hooks derived from many advanced production techniques, but renders an accessible and moving musical experience. Where glitch is often “as you like it” emotionally, here the Brothers Trifon manage very clear themes and powerful movements of music. Their attention to detail is meticulous and shows, with what feels like an infinite number of tracks converging, wildly moving through the stereo space. Easily, the most accessible of all the music here. Mixed in, though right in the foreground, subtly, is a series of small, microscopic sounding clicks that pan across the rest of the track with intention and brain teasing effect. “Emergence”, their debut, is a thoroughly digital experience, where every synth is crisp, awake and washed through layer upon layer of effects.
Next, a recent find, but an altogether profound experience is Vector Lovers. Where Trifonic is digital and tightly wound, hell bent on control, the music here appears nearly completely out of control. Arpeggios roll in and out, small clicks bounce from foreground to background, tracks disappear then snap back with into sight. There are vocals that oddly hark back to 90’s Britpop and many of the synths have a clear, “Vangelis” pad sound, reminding me of the city skyline scene in Blade Runner. The emotions here are much more vague, again, as you like it really, but there seems a running theme throughout, of growth from one state of being to another, becoming hopeful by the end, of what and whom, I imagine is for you to decide, dear reader. Not the most open record ever, but if you give it time and a solid listen through, there are lovely moments to be had, my favorite being “Piano Dust”.
Finally, is Jamie Watts’ project, Kilowatts. Probably one of the least known yet easily one of EDM’s most prolific voices, Jamie is in a class all his own. Though most would classify Mr. Watts under IDM, he is glitch and a wonderful entry into the style. Though he has moved into more experimental jazz influence as of late (or possibly returned to it), Kilo has been doing glitch for quite awhile, working in a less clicky style, much more subdued and usually very dark. The music is difficult to parse through, sometimes unfriendly, sometimes hard to know where you’ve been and how you got to where you are now. Problem/Solving, Kilo’s first work I tried to listen to, has only recently become a record that is easily appreciated. It’s detail and subtlety is quite simply lost on most listeners(really, it takes a few listens), but Jamie, and a friend of his, Vanek figured out a wonderful way to introduce a listener to glitch without realizing. A spoonful of sugar as it were.
Kilowatts & Vanek: The internet project to end all internet projects. The case in point as to how and why global communication works. Two musicians, disparate in geography, instrumentation, style, voice, that is to say, in everything, come together to make music that is at one point moving, sparse guitar while being glitchy, circuit bent and altogether earth shattering sound design wise. Vanek’s acoustic guitar pans string by string, Kilo’s beats push through with noise chopping through, synths moving in quietly but easily fitting in with the guitar, with an intimate, beautiful result.
Most importantly, most poetically, this project, Kilowatts & Vanek was began by these two artists without ever having met…well, I’ll go geek on it, IRL.
This music, above all the music I have ever suggested- save for Burial- is best appreciated with headphones. it my be fairly said, that this music requires a good pair of cans.
keep listening.
_backchat
Check out kilo @ http://kilowatts.bandcamp.com/
Trifonic @ http://trifonic.bandcamp.com
Vector Lovers is easiest acquired @ both iTunes and/or Beatport.
