Venetian Snares’s Aaron Funk never ceases to amaze,
annoy, disturb, frustrate, all that often at once. While
his recent output for Canadian-label Sublight Records,
Winnipeg Is A Frozen Shithole, an anti-ode
to his native city, has been described as one of his
hardest, most violent records to date, his next album,
this time for Planet Mu, is perhaps his most delicate
and intriguing.
For years, Funk has taken unexpected paths and lodged
his infectious drill’n’bass in the most
surprising corners, but this latest opus is in a league
of its own. Although Funk had already briefly hinted
at similar soundscapes in previous records, Rossz
Csillagf Alatt Született opens up to beautiful
soundscapes and unusually laidback atmospheric moments,
in parts at least. Inspired by a trip to Hungary during
a European tour, this album shows a more mature and
structured side to Funk’s musical persona.
Making good use of orchestral constructions and typically
melancholic Eastern European melodies, Aaron creates
an interestingly baroque soundtrack on which his infamous
breaks only serve to highlight the dramatic nature of
the music. Unlike anything he has produced until now,
this album very much revolves around a central theme,
which is in turn developed into subtle variations with
each new track. From the sort opening, Sikertelenség,
to the impressive evolution of Hajnal or the
delicate Öngyilkos Vasárnap, Funk
dares going as far as he can to create a truly unique
atmospheric canvas.
For the occasion, Aaron Funk learned to play the trumpet
and electric violin, giving the album a more organic
and textured feel. This also somehow adds to the underlying
tension running throughout, making this Funk’s
most human and touching release.
If it could be argued that, having released twelve albums
in just six years, Funk’s creativity might be
in danger of seriously drying up, Rossz Csillagf
Alatt Született demonstrates that the man
is still progressing. Always finding new ways to explore,
Funk manages to surprise his audience time and time
again. With Rossz Csillagf Alatt Született,
he produces his most compelling and imaginative record
to date.
4.5/5 |
