There are many ways to get noticed amongst the myriad
of releases flooding record shops these days, but the
mysterious character hiding behind this project has
definitely chosen to take the most obvious route: get
a name that everybody will understand and memorise quickly.
So, enters Christ. (notice the full stop after the name),
and his first album for Edinburgh-based Benbecula Records.
Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle is the follow-up
to last year’s critically acclaimed Pylonesque
EP, already released on Benbecula. If on the press release,
Christ. sneakily mentions two previous albums, supposedly
published in 1996 (Delicass Harmonium) and
1998 (Yogu 77) on Hyperact Records, Pylonesque
was actually his first proper release, rapidly establishing
Christ. on the electronic circuit, as the EP gained
praises across the board and got regular airplay on
the BBC Radio 1 John Peel Show. After touring Japan
during the summer of 2002, the Scott returned to Edinburgh
to start working on Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle,
his first album. Comparisons with Boards
Of Canada and Isan
are unavoidable, and considering that the man is actually
rumoured to have had strong connections with the BoC
pair in the past, it is only half surprising. Yet Christ.
deploys some interesting trickery of his own to distance
himself from his fellow Edinburgers. Bathed in luxuriant
swathes of warm analogue sounds, the melodies form distinct
shapes against the subtle atmospheric backgrounds, defining
more precisely the musical landscape in which Christ.
evolves with ease. If the majority of the beat structures
remain discreetly tucked away behind the curtains of
synthetic waves, Christ. sometimes inverses the balance
of powers between sound and rhythmic elements, as on
the abrasive and upfront Ray Breakout or the
seismic Skylab One, destabilising for a moment
the fragile nature of the constructions in order to
reveal a stronger and harsher side to the music. Remains
the instinct of the man for beautiful melodies, warm
sounds, hypnotic grooves and carefully set arrangements,
all contributing to the impressive atmospheric nature
of this record.
If you can’t wait for the next instalment of Boards
Of Canada goodies, then this album will definitely
provide a satisfying interlude, but it would be a mistake
to only see Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle
as an ersatz. If the sonic realm seems intricately linked
to that of BoC, Christ.’s production is far richer
and more luxurious. This album shows a confident expansion
from his debut EP, and could well prove to become a
classic.
4.4/5 |
