- If you imagine most dance genres as circles in a Venn diagram, then a lot of Timothy J. Fairplay's music is somewhere in the centre. His tracks often fall into acid house and New Beat taxonomies, but he's also channelled electro ("Unexplained Intergalactic Radio Bursts," from his Stories From Prison EP), gothic Italo (Love & Colombium's "Night Witch," his last Charlois release), and growling krautrock ("The Final Reel" on Andrew Weatherall's Bird Scarer label). Despite this stylistic diversity, most Fairplay tracks are recognisable for a few reasons, all of which stem from a sense of restraint. The melodies are fairly simple—on My Etherealrealness, the most complex sequence of notes only extends over four bars—and built to service Fairplay's driving beats, which usually hover around 110 and 115 BPM.
These three are a little faster, but otherwise My Etherealrealness is firm Fairplay ground. The title track is built from a jacking rhythm with only kicks that seem to hit the beat square. Pulsing bass synths and puffy organ notes give "My Etherealrealness" a militaristic pomp, though it's rarely in lockstep. "Phantom Trap," my favourite here, is sustained by spectral rave notes and a supple bassline. As it goes on, Fairplay adds accent melodies and synth lines until, almost by stealth, it becomes a thrilling, head-spinning banger. "Flying Saucer Review"'s glitter-strewn bassline is the foundation for an unexpectedly melancholy finale. Sickly digital strings tower dramatically over Fairplay's array of instruments—notably busier here than on the rest of My Etherealrealness—but he keeps a tight rein on the organ's melodramatic gestures.
TracklistA1 My Etherealrealness
A2 Phantom Trap
B1 Flying Saucer Review