- Another record, another Charles Darwin theme. With its second 12-inch, Italian label Electronique.it—an offshoot of the website of the same name—is this time covering Darwin's research on emotions and facial gestures. The connection seems a bit nebulous, though importantly, the music is anything but. Plant43's "Blue Skyways" is a beauty, combining a stripped electro foundation and lush synth work.
"Gallano" makes extensive use of acid, but Valmass handles it as gracefully as Tin Man and Recondite. Taking a rather psychedelic approach, the track's heart-broken 303 never stops morphing. Honeyed synths encase this central motif, resulting in a pleasant trip; a feeling helped along by the cut's intricate percussion and lack of bass. But perhaps the strongest track here—and it's a tough decision—comes from Yard, a Portland-based artist who released an album with Further Records last year. Recalling Mule's superb Enjoy the Silence compilations, it takes a stance that's many things: tense, gentle, elegant and symphonic. Yard's first act is to establish a perma-haze of resonant strings. Kicks and other percussion soon join the party, but ultimately they're just diversions on the way to the huge, growling bassline unleashed somewhere near the halfway mark.
TracklistA1 Plant43 - Blue Skyways
A2 Valmass - Gallano
B Yard - Cascade