Brett Naucke: Seed LP (Spectrum Spools, 2014)

April 27, 2014 at 6:26 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Brett Naucke: Seed LP

Spectrum Spools’ latest uncovering from the American synth underground, this is the newest album from Chicago-based artist Brett Naucke. This is an incredibly diverse modular synth album, which is even more impressive given that all of the tracks were recorded using the same synth patch. “Up From the Sun” starts out sounding like it’s slowly peeling away at something, until it finally reveals a source of light. “Luau” starts with some rocketship-console blips, then happens upon a 3-dimensional abstract rhythm, with floating spectre-like vocals. “Pala” trickles in at first, bumping into a strong, bass-heavy rhythm, and drizzling fluid synth tones and melodies over everything. “Sorrel & Grays” is a more exploratory piece, which uses tabla rhythms, and drifts about wide-eyed in open space. “Lost Inside Your Houses” is more shut-in and paranoid as its title suggests, feeling like it can’t get out of a locked basement, and there’s no light, so it can’t see what’s crawling around the floor. “Harp Of The Evening Garden” has traces of muffled voices and radio dial flipping, and another clicky IDM rhythm. “Transmission From The Evening Garden” feels even more scrambled, with more strange voices and frazzled sounds. “Seed” ends the album with lots of colorful, bubbling Bee Mask-like tones, slowly building up with bright, shimmering waves, and then all suddenly melting away as the album ends. It should be noted that this album is a great headphone listen, lots of strange miniature sounds buzzing from ear to ear.

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