One of the finest harvesters of talents, Mike
Paradinas is once again working his magic and bringing
some fresh and creative blood into his roster. Portsmouth-based
Christopher Reeves, or The Gasman as he likes to be
called, is the most recent recruit from Planet Mu. Expanding
seriously on the possibilities offered by the laptop
computer to musicians over recent years, Reeves presents
a rather interesting and slightly disturbing record.
Said to build his music from old classical tape reels
with a computer bought from Dixon’s, Reeves weaves
orchestral and anarchic electronic elements into beautiful
and strangely fascinating pieces, relentlessly juxtaposing
genres. Refusing categorisation, Reeves stick to jumping
from one mood to another with remarkable constancy.
Taking his inspiration from a wide range of sources,
it is difficult to pinpoint where Reeves comes from,
and it serves his purpose incredibly well. The album
opens with the dark rumblings of processed string work
and choirs interrupted by the fracas of atmospheric
noises and screams on Horses On Ice, setting
the tone for the bleaker side of Remedial.
Ajax, that follows, entertains a more open
and somewhat traditional electronic atmosphere, close
to some of Black Dog’s
early recordings, yet threatening orchestral spikes
lurk in the background, keeping the chirpy melody on
its toes. If Derbac or Trill appear
more straightforward, and Pyloric verges on
the playful, with its approach to rhythmic section reminiscent
of Aphex Twin or
Venetian Snares, Krona,
which follows reinforces the murkier side of Reeves's
musical persona. Despite some interesting excursions
into more conventional territories, Remedial
remains unsettling, dark and atmospheric. His approach
might not be entirely original – some might be
tempted to draw hasty comparisons with the likes of
Murcof or Aphex
Twin – yet the result is by all means personal.
Ostensibly adapting some elements of the technique applied
by electro-acoustic composers to the more sterile environment
of his computer, Reeves manages to remain firmly focused
on the organic aspect of his raw material. The sonic
deconstruction is not total, far from it. If Reeves
processes his sounds comprehensively, he retains the
melodic nature of his sources, enabling his compositions
to develop in multiple directions at once. Complex and
abstract, yet reasonably accessible and cohesive, the
great majority of the seventeen tracks forming the body
of his debut release prove fundamentally captivating.
Influences are far less important than direction here,
and Reeves seems to unashamedly turn his back on restrictive
features to give his music context and purpose. The
only drawback of this approach is that Remedial
end up feeling slightly patchy at times, as if the multiple
focus were spreading just a little bit too far, but
it is rarely clearly noticeable and doesn’t affect
the overall result in any way. Remedial remains
a strong collection of clever electronica that can have
you both dancing and reflecting to.
Typical of the stance taken by Mike
Paradinas with the releases of is label over the
last few years, Remedial showcases the incredibly
diverse work of yet another prodigy of the laptop generation
and proves to be a decidedly fine piece of work. Alternating
challenging compositions and playful experiments, Christopher
Reeves proves to be one of the most interesting recent
additions to the label.
4.5/5 |
