Released on the recently resurrected Em:t imprint, Even
Calls is the first album from Washington, D.C.
trio 302 Acid. Formed of Doug Kallmeyer (samples, bass),
Justin Mader (samples, projections) and Andrew Reichel
(electronics), who recently released his first solo
album as Gel-Sol, also on Em:t, 302 Acid are a rare
musical structure. Although largely focusing on electronics,
the band also incorporate real instrumentation in their
music and appear very well set up to function perfectly
within a live environment.
Reported to have met in some of Washington, D.C.’s
most respectable haunts and brought together by a common
love of a wide range of genres encompassing anything
from electronica to jazz and prog-rock to classical,
302 Acid rapidly developed a sound largely based on
improvisations. Following on from their debut EP, Ailanthus
Altisisma, released on Hackshop Records at the
beginning of 2004, Even Calls charts some interesting
sonic territories, from psychedelic electronic to dark
ambient, with regular injections of tonal flavours destined
to bring texture into the mix.
The album opens with the expensive and lush A.I.R.BO.C.
Here, 302 Acid work around a recurring melodic theme,
starting from a gentle analogue wave and progressively
adding layers (bass, drums, sonic distractions, additional
melody) until it eventually disappears into a whirlwind
of sounds. On Tunnel Vision and Road Trip
To Tokyo, the trio continue to experiment with
various beat or sonic structures, clipping subtle melodies
onto infectious backdrop. Tunnel Vision is
a wonderful little vignette, which begins in distortions
and ends in swirls of warm arpeggios, while Road
Trip to Tokyo combines treated vocal samples and
an incisive bass line, evoking Future
Sound Of London circa Dead
Cities. Elsewhere, 302 Acid investigates beautiful
ambient soundscapes not that far apart from Biosphere.
Six and Mortariggus especially showcase
a much more reflective and intimate sound. Melodies
are caught in slow motion and sounds appear to float
freely around. If Six is dreamy and spacious,
Mortariggus is far more austere and cold (hence
the title perhaps). Build around a distant drone that
constantly evolves and changes shape, the track is slowly
brought to life before being morphed into the dubbey
Push Button, signalling a return to more organic
grounds.
If their first EP hinted at jazz ambiences, this album
is a much more diverse, yet focused, affair. With their
applied electronics persistently surrounded with live
instrumentations, and a fine ear for production, 302
Acid are a welcome addition to the Em:t roster and shows
that, six years on from the demise of the original imprint,
the label hasn’t lost any of its sharp vision.
Even Calls is a superb record to get lost into.
4.2/5 |
