Slow Temperature - Early Works (Vol. II)

Boomkat review

     

A follow-up to the excellent Detached Metal Voice compilation of early material from Autistici, this second installment covers works recorded between 2001-2005. Autistici is the recording alias of David Newman, head of the Audiobulb label, though arguably his key work to date has come courtesy of the 12k label. The 2008-released Volume Objects remains an engagingly musical example of the microsound genre, though at the time you'd never have expected Autistici to have already accumulated such a rich archive of material. Compared with the first Early Works release, the music here is indicative of a more cultured technician, with pieces like 'Farm', 'Cutlery' and 'Stone Steps Into Water' revealing the workings of an accomplished experimental sound engineer. Similarly, mysterious electroacoustic miniatures like '14 Switches On A Hidden Wall' or 'Soft Grey Generator' stir up all manner of intriguing noises without sufficiently conforming to structure or narrative to be thought of as compositions in any strict sense, but they're ideal material for this enjoyable retrospective series.