Beast: Ens (Thrill Jockey, 2018)

October 28, 2018 at 6:18 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Beast: Ens

Koen Holtkamp’s Beast moniker makes its debut on Thrill Jockey with this gently riveting release. Much more rhythmic than some of his other work, these compositions sometimes feature drum machines backing his lightly swarming guitars and cosmic synth arpeggios. It’s super melodic and sounds bright and hopeful. “Color Feel” includes a diving-bomb whistle descending throughout a sea of pianos, and it ends up being more uplifting than unnerving. “Staren” is a bit more audacious, with deep drums booming underneath a complex arrangement of cycling strings (plucked and bowed) and synths. The album ends with the majestic sunlight waves of “For Otto”.

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The Answer Is In The Beat