- 2013 felt like an exploratory year for David Kennedy. November's HES026 EP for Hessle saw his usual rhythmic gymnastics placed in a newly subdued context ("Lola"), or else abandoned entirely (the surprising, and surprisingly banging "Power Drumsss"). Kennedy's latest looks back further, to May's ascetic and even more unexpected REM. The origins of this seven-inch can be found in the pristine beatless "Figment" or "REM"'s synth pointillism. But here the reductionist logic of those tracks has been taken to its supremely minimal conclusion—with gorgeous results.
True to their title, "Raindrops" parts I and II feature drip-drop synth arps, lightly shaded with hiss and the occasional delay squiggle—and that's it. Each of the two versions outlines a different chord progression with similar poise, as if Kennedy has rotated an object 90 degrees to capture a new angle. The brighter "Pt I" is probably the better of the two, but both have a wonderful dappled complexity that rewards close listening. Their slightness—each is around two and a half minutes long—suggests that Kennedy sees this single as a sidenote rather than the beginning of a new beatless direction. Given the delicacy with which he handles the form, that's almost a disappointment.
TracklistA Pt. I
B Pt. II