4 Play/ Digitalism, Dan Deacon, Seeland, Telekinesis

May 24, 2009

4 Play/ Digitalism, Dan Deacon, Seeland, Telekinesis
Kristi Kates 5/25/09


Digitalism - Hands On Idealism - Astralwerks
Digitalism took their Idealism full-length album and reworked it - along with a plethora of talented friends - to craft this detailed remix set. Among the pals who teamed up with the German dance duo were Breakbot, who added some gritty keyboards and hypnotic backbeats to “Apollo-Gize,” Siriusmo, whose noisy and subtley aggressive take on “Echoes” was one of the album’s standouts, and Digitalism’s own second approach to that same track, in which a more chill approach was taken to result in what they dubbed their “Underwater” mix.



Dan Deacon - Bromst - Carpark
Deacon may have focused solely on electronica on his last effort, but on this one, he fuses both electronic and acoustic instruments, all augmented by samples, loads of keyboards, and a carefully-orchestrated din. Vocally, though, things stay somewhat electronic, or at least electronically-enhanced, from cartoon-character vox to club-shouting extravaganzas. “Build Voice” layers some of those vocals with expanding reverb, while “Woof Woof” takes static to the dance floor and “Snookered” is a two-parter; chill at first, and a peppy mash-up later.



Seeland - Tomorrow Today - Loaf
Broadcast’s Tim Felton and Plone’s Billy Bainbridge founded Seeland several years back, but this is really their first full-length effort of synth-tronica tracks. “Turnaround” is reminiscent of old-school German club singles, while “Call the Incredible” holds down a weighty beat while still serving up a space-lounge-ready melody. Elsewhere, “Static Object” overlaps instrumental elements with dissonance, “Goodbye” pulls in a little retro feel, and “Burning Pages” showcases the duo’s expertise with synth pads. It’s caught - in a good way - between the late ‘50s and today.


Telekinesis - Telekinesis! - Merge
The musical pseudonym of Seattle native Michael Benjamin Lerner, Telekinesis’ eponymous debut, as produced by Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), showcases Lerner’s penchant for quickly-written, unstructured songcraft that skates along the top of typically-friendly indie-pop, but with a little more under the surface. These are short, concise songs, from the high-range vocals of “Calling All Doctors” to the ‘60s-inflected “Tokyo” to the surf-pop infusion on “Coast of Carolina” - and they’re such interesting listens, you’ll likely be sorry they were over so soon.