This is the third cassette from the bedroom house/techno duo Energy ☆, and it’s their second eponymous edition. Comprising ethereal dream weaver Camilla Padgitt-Coles (Ivy Meadows, Future Shuttle) and experimental producer/composer Bryce Hackford, the on-going collaborative project drifts in the liminal spaces that exist outside of genre, place and time. The music lives in between, the electronic constructions hovering not quite within the bounds of either composition or improvisation. The beauty of the music subsists in and for itself, with each of the five pieces residing in its own singular microcosm. Yet a conceptual thread ties the entire cassette together.
Calling this music ‘house’ and/or ‘techno’ is actually slightly misleading, as really only the opening track “~” really exists within such narrow realms with its juicy bass line and hi-hat shuffle. An arcane ooze infects the oblique rhythm of “~~”, but a pair of sprightly, disjointed melodies dance across its slippery foundation. The relatively brief “~~~” is an improvisational percussive romp that carries its own uncanny sense of time.
Wrapping all these conceptual notions together is the gorgeous “~~~~”, which sways effortlessly across its 16-minute run time. Its blissful blanket of drone will surely bring lidded eyes and a lackadaisical smile to those who partake. Wrapping up the proceedings is “~~~~~” with a brittle rhythm that is the most alien of the bunch. Delicate chimes and a series of organ drones serve to lighten the mood as the piece drifts toward a peaceful conclusion.
Arriving in an edition of 100 pro-dubbed cassettes, this enigmatic song cycle is certainly worth exploring, so head to the Galtta Media Bandcamp to snap up a copy for yourself.
