Rapoon "Pell Mell" Staalplaat STCD 155 2000 (28:06)
Trace Area (19:56) (9:45
- 11:05) (18:00
- 19:00)
Pulse Codec (8:10)
'Pell mell' means "in mingled confusion or disorder", a pretty befitting title for this unnecessarily full priced (maybe it's due to the hand made, compressed paper digipak?) mini album. The disc is comprised of just two tracks, under 20 and over eight minutes apiece, respectively. With these pieces Robin Storey explores contrasting processes. "Trace Area" begins with a mild drone loop which is then altered on the fly as additional layers are applied and peeled away. It takes a good eight minutes for something really interesting to take shape - a deep, distant, meditational bass pulse jarred by percussive racket - but it unfortunately regresses soon after. Near the end of the track, effected broadcast voices are tacked on as an afterthought. Compared to the bulk of Storey's work as Rapoon, "Trace" is the closest of these two to the "typical" Rapoon sound. "Pulse Codec" is much more rigid as a programmed rhythm provides the framework for electronic sounds. The beat is rather generic and off-putting right from the start. Pretty stereo panned piano notes bounce around inside the frame, but the damn drum machine relentlessly overpowers everything else, including your concentration. "Pell Mell" is the most disappointing Rapoon disc I've encountered to date. At least half a dozen new Storey/Rapoon releases are on the horizon from Soleilmoon and Klanggalerie, including collaborations with Victor Nubla (Macromassa) and Andy Diey (Black Faction) ...
Where did I get this CD? - Forced Exposure