Various Artists | Object Set and Motion
Apestaartje | CD
'Object Set and Motion' gathers four artists (or five to precisely factor in Italian duo Tu m') whose work is firmly in its ascendency. Operating around the outer edges of melody and tugging gently at its fraying edges, each is, as Apestaartje helpfully suggest, "exploring the sculptural aspects of air moving through space."
Roux establishes parameters with two opening tracks whose elegiac harmonies are set in perfect motion then allowed to unwind with all the care and precision of a classic Swiss timepiece. 'Rain on Mollon', closely followed by 'July Rain', feature molten melodies - elastic, hypnotic and mesmerising in their simply unfolding quality.
Tu m' swiftly follow Asuna (Japanese artist Naoyuki Arashi) with two tracks of glittering, fragmented melody - spartan loops of sublime efficiency which, once again, amply underscore Rossano Polidoro and Emiliano Romanelli's burgeoning abilities. 'After Dinner' and 'Three, Trees' form an ample core whose careful arrangement further showcases Tu m's hazily sculpted harmonies.
Closing with two tracks of elegantly reverse-engineered field recordings with subtle electronics by duul-drv, Canadian artist S. Arden Hill, 'Object Set and Motion' comes full circle. Perfect post-pop.
[CM]
