Another (mostly) nice vxvii review
Monday, February 04, 2008
"The final curtain call was made and Kikapu left the field with VXXII by Mikronesia. As the cover art suggests, a departure means also a new beginning. In this case the production is opened by a dampened piano and unconnected stutter samples. A deep bass regularily accentuates the first quater note. Tight 4/4th structure. The music is indecisive whether to stick with the melodic similarity to J-pop ballad kitsch or to fall apart in fragmented sonic events, which are more compliant to a typical electro acoustic production. And and therefore noisy samples remain desintegrated ornaments and interfere with the mellow piano line.
Fortunately the remainder of Mikronesia’s VXVII is much more focussed and consistent, where all components work as a whole and contain melodic lines that serve as binding element between the glitchy chord snippets and layers of noise. Moments where Mikronesia unfold their musical potential with soundscapes of iridescent beauty. Hibersea is another strange orchid in the morning sun, with confusing bitonality, distant hallucinatory female voices and pentatonic theme progressions. Mikronesia also undertake forays into Minimalist music, with subtiles changes in modulation and micro details or explore the noisy distortion of the later Oval. Gate could even run as digital Psychedelia with hammond organ emulations and resonant feedback vibrations that come close to the sound of a sitar.
Apart from the opening track, the remainder of the release turns out as a well thought, contrastive and a joy to listen to. Mikronesia’s VXVII is a worthy final chapter of Kikapu’s history and a recommended download in my opinion."
From Petcord
Fortunately the remainder of Mikronesia’s VXVII is much more focussed and consistent, where all components work as a whole and contain melodic lines that serve as binding element between the glitchy chord snippets and layers of noise. Moments where Mikronesia unfold their musical potential with soundscapes of iridescent beauty. Hibersea is another strange orchid in the morning sun, with confusing bitonality, distant hallucinatory female voices and pentatonic theme progressions. Mikronesia also undertake forays into Minimalist music, with subtiles changes in modulation and micro details or explore the noisy distortion of the later Oval. Gate could even run as digital Psychedelia with hammond organ emulations and resonant feedback vibrations that come close to the sound of a sitar.
Apart from the opening track, the remainder of the release turns out as a well thought, contrastive and a joy to listen to. Mikronesia’s VXVII is a worthy final chapter of Kikapu’s history and a recommended download in my opinion."
From Petcord