Mike Dykehouse
(you’ve read everywhere else that it’s his real name,
so we won’t bore you with that) comes from Kalamazoo,
a spitting distance away from Detroit. This might explain
the definite techno feel oozing out of Dynamicobsolescence.
But, as perceptible the influence of the Motor city
is here, Dykehouse also borrows much of his experimental
threads from the likes of Aphex
Twin, Plaid, Squarepusher
(in his more subdued moments, admittedly) or µ-ziq.
The connection with the later doesn’t end here, as Dykehouse
hassled Mike Paradinas for over three years before the
Planet Mu guru, confronted with this young talent, eventually
decided to release his records.
As he lays
wave after wave of warm analogue sounds on sumptuously
constructed beats, Mike Dykehouse pays tribute to the
pioneers of electro, as well as to those who have contributed
in building a strong British electronic scene. With
such a duality of form in hand, Dykehouse gives a considerable
space to epic earthy melodies, making them central to
his compositions. The mood is generally mellow and slightly
melancholic. However, from time to time, some more upbeat
vignettes take shape in the distance, as if he was genuinely
scared of approaching them for long. Although Dynamicobsolescence
kicks off with a fast moving, bouncy piece of pure electro,
reminiscent of early post-acid Warp (Yorkshire Acid
Burn), the more buoyant tracks are scarcely dispatched
between the incorporeal compositions. The electro-funk
of Record Store Track, the Aphex-like
ambience of Cargo Cult or Quick Migraine
Fixture, or the Plaid-inspired
Chapel Hillectro all act as some sort of links
between vaporous waves of nonchalance, as if the man
was effortlessly bringing his diverse inspirations together
for the comfort of the listener. These introvert, reflective,
tracks are actually the most inspiring of the lot, introducing
some organic melodies and concussed beat structures,
evoking in turn Plaid
(again) and early µ-ziq
on Cheesy Haiku Model or Kalamazoo,
Future Sound Of London
(Gurysm, Fluffernutter) or
early Polygon Window/AFX
(Ypsitucky, Last Track).
Dynamicobsolessence
is the first effort by an artist who obviously has considerably
more to offer. Equally at ease with the analogue and
laptop generations, Mike Dykehouse constantly switches
between one and the other, extracting the best from
each. |
