SOTNMS in Sound On Sound (September 2009)
01/09/09 00:00 Filed in: Album reviews
Darkroom include in their numbers Andrew Ostler, the man behind the rather interesting Expert Sleepers range of plug-ins. Together with a drummer and one of those noodly I-am-not-a-rock-guitarist guitarists, he makes dreamy, minimalist electronica that could fairly be described as ‘ambient’. (At one point, it took me at least 30 seconds to realise that what I thought was an interesting textural noise was actually a colleague rustling a plastic bag.)
The pace is slow, then, but there’s plenty to admire along the way. ‘My Sunsets Are All One-Sided’ develops cleverly, gentle beginnings gradually being overcome by tides of bit-crushed percussion; ‘Chalk Is Organised Dust’ blends hypnotic acoustic phrases with free-jazz drumming and string-like electric guitar pads. There’s enough dissonance and darkness to balance out the sweetness on display, and even the longest tracks never appear directionless.
Sam Inglis
Original article here.
The pace is slow, then, but there’s plenty to admire along the way. ‘My Sunsets Are All One-Sided’ develops cleverly, gentle beginnings gradually being overcome by tides of bit-crushed percussion; ‘Chalk Is Organised Dust’ blends hypnotic acoustic phrases with free-jazz drumming and string-like electric guitar pads. There’s enough dissonance and darkness to balance out the sweetness on display, and even the longest tracks never appear directionless.
Sam Inglis
Original article here.