Artist: Tapage
Title: Overgrown
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 1st November 2011
Label: Tympanik Audio
Album Review
Following his collaboration with MEANDER on 'Etched in Salt', TAPAGE is walking solo again on the follow-up to 'Fallen Clouds', which is titled 'Overgrown'. The front cover suggests that he might have taken inspiration of 70s early electronic era. Once you've listen to the album front to back you'll see that you were a little fast with your judgment. 'Sine' introduces you to the album with an icy concert. It's actually sounding like someone's beating on ice with prepared drum sticks in a cave and processed everything in the studio thereafter. 'Loss' laces delicate atmospheres intertwined with piano around faltering beats and injected fragments, this creating a symphony of contrasts. The thing that drew me to 'Pink Mist' instantly was its use of hazy melodies. You can almost see them disperse in bright sunlight amidst completely unpredictable patterns of vocal samples and rhythm. Something AUTECHRE have brought to disturbing perfection. 'Xyloplax' progresses from there in taking the ambient parts to alter them and at actual structure while 'Crab prefers to dwell in quirky, subtly noisy realms.
Chemical equation made music is 'Ethyl' where molecules and particles join to create structure. In the meantime free radicals fill the gaps they've left with warm and comforting shades of melody. On 'Overgrown' there's a cold wind blowing through the little universe created and for the most part the track maintains a frigid vibe contrary to previous tracks. I experienced a kind of 3D sound effect while listening to 'Leptoid'. Don't know if that was intentional but it's a frigging cool effect on a primarily rhythm dominated tracks that is incredibly hard to grasp. The short intermezzo 'Mortuary Beef' is a prime example of the TAPAGE's production level. All seems naturally embedding into one another. Except for the drums they're echoes resounding from stark walls in a soundproof room. 'Dresscode' takes you into a specially created eco-system inhabited by sonic creatures you've never heard of before. 'Pockets' is the gateway back to the outside world again, standing in front of which you wonder whether or not you want to leave this world of wonder. 'Overgrown' is the current peak in TAPAGE's evolution. The overall sound of the album is more focused on thick, warm ambience and straight rhythms were mostly left by the wayside.
Tracklist
01. Sine
02. Loss
03. Pink Mist
04. Xyloplax
05. Crab
06. Ethyl
07. Overgrown
08. Mimic
09. Leptoid
10. Mortuary Beef
11. Unfolded
12. Dresscode
13. Repress
14. Pockets
Line-Up
Tijs Ham - All Music & Production
Website
http://www.facebook.com/pages/tapage/251467499619
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 10
Extras: -
Total: 9.5 / 10
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