REVIEWS

MachinefabriekRutger Zuydervelt's latest release is a sound painting of true craftsmanship. "Dauw" is divided into five tracks, each one an important part of the whole. He uses a large array of different sounds, each one with purpose, to create a meditative and uplifting record. It opens slowly and gently coaxing to a lull and bringing relaxation. When calm and relaxed, Zuydervelt opens your scull and places the sounds, with expert precision, right inside your head. This is followed by a mesmerisingly simple guitar tune which takes us to some beautiful vocal harmonies. Harmonies which fill the room with warmth gradually intensifying, building, growing, until it disappointingly just ends. The last section acts a coda, although much longer than the four previous tracks. It incorporates elements heard before and brings Dauw to a peaceful close.
:: Machinefabriek/Dauw - Dekorder/A-Musik.

oneidaElegance and poise characterise this carefully crafted music, apparently three years in the making. Consisting of three lengthly tracks, this album moves with a dream-like logic from groove to groove and from one simple melody to another and back again. The drumming is the core of this recording, moving from freeform to rock propulsion and finally locking into hypnotic and intricate patterns. Reversing the form of conventional rock music, keyboard and drums play the lead role, while the other instruments support and add on texture. There is a great deal of distortion, with even the beats blurring into a fuzzy smudge. Without sounding derivative, the methodically unfolding soundworld and especially the the envelope filters buried in the mix remind me of the Boredom's masterpiece "Vision Creation Newsun" or Neu 2. When a distant voice kicks in halfway through the second track, things get even more psychedelic and hazy. This is first rate instrumental rock. "Preteen Weaponry" draws on 60s psychedelia, but shows little musical debt to jazz or blues despite the dewatering fluid instrumental passages. The musicianship is accomplished, but nobody involved seems interested in showing off their chops. A very impressive recording.

:: Oneida/Preteen Weaponry - JagJaguwar/Cargo.