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SilberThe many styles of Jon DeRosa are on full display these days, with new albums from Pale Horse and Rider and this project being released so close to each other. Where DeRosa is getting a lot of press these days for PHaR, it is Aarktica that started his journey into somber melodies, though for his latest, it seems the more song-like structure of the former informs the latter. Pure Tone Audiometryrefers to a hearing test that DeRosa had when he lost the hearing in his right ear several years ago. It is also the most rock-oriented of DeRosa's releases. Where previous Aarktica recordings were primarily drone and buzz, and PHaR very acoustic and downbeat, this music is full-sounding, almost playful in places, and very mapped-out. Sounds appear and disappear, spliced in and out with the skill of a surgeon, and everything dances around your ears like it was born to be there. The chilling vocals on the opening track almost drown out the science film wild track, and altogether it sounds like a chorus of technology, humanity, and the otherworldly. Elsewhere, the electro-pop returns, with electric guitar, programmed beats, and the sullen but liquid voice of DeRosa gracing the other tones. Then, real drums snap into focus, and the sound of a full band, something unheard of Aarktica releases, fills the speakers and pulses with raw energy. The harmony chorus vocals all over the record breathe real life into this material, so much so that it alone almost eclipses all his other work. This is not to say that DeRosa has left behind his old devices, as"Snowstorm Ruins Birthday" and "Water Wakes Dead Cells" clearly display. He has, however, found a growth, a leap forward, that was not expected, but certainly most welcome.
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"Train," the first single from the album, is bound for dancefloor fame.Alison is in full-on diva mode, and the thumping bassline and jaggedsynth rhythms are bound to make jaws drop from those who were expectingthe subtlety found on tracks like "Utopia" from Goldfrapp's debut. Thistrack is followed by the title cut, a meandering, bland mix ofuninspired string arrangements and monotone vocals. It is evidence ofone of the album's weak spot: the down-tempo songs, like this, "HairyTrees" and "Forever," are sappy and nearly indistinguishable. This timearound, Goldfrapp seem to be much more comfortable when they're overt.Their sexual themes lyrically reflect this as well, and have beenexpanded from Felt Mountainnearly to the point of being gratuitous. Hints of eroticism found onthe previous record have become morphed into naughtily playful lyricslike "put your dirty angel face / between my legs and knicker lace" onone of the strongest tracks, "Twist." Meanwhile, "Strict Machine"features a sexy beat throughout that resembles the cracking of a whip.
All in all, while Black Cherryis wholly entertaining, it does not bring to bear the inventiveness andemotional power of its predecessor. Additionally, Alison's voice doesnot show the range she's capable of (no yodeling this time around),although musically, the synths are very expertly and creatively handledby the duo. At its best, it's a sweet, dark, succulent pop record, butif you're searching for something mindblowing, best not to look here.
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- Kinski - Keep Clear of Me, I Am Maneuvering With Difficulty
- Paik - Spanish Holiday
- Surface of Eceyon - Concert of Stars
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- Yellow6 - Centraal
- Rothko - Halftones and Metatones - 3
- Landing - Through the Twilight
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Dub Tractor is the solo artist alias for Danish musician/ electronic-based artist Anders Remmer (Future 3) under which he blends laid back, machine-generated grooves that carry a smidgen of glitch, various synth patches, the odd vocal track, bass guitar and other low-end frequencies for results which are very pleasing to the ear. For his latest full-length release, Remmer offers up nine individual tracks, all of which tend to convey an overall relaxing and subtly melodic panorama of sound to varying degrees.
 
The tremolo effect applied to the keyboards on "I Don't Care" not only perpetuates the tune more than the scratchy drum machine rhythms, but also takes the focus from the underlying chord progressions which then blend together almost seamlessly. Delicate vocals drift in and out to melodically repeat the track title to some upper register bass guitar lines. "Pep" opens to a quiet synth burbling which is then set to a minimal machine groove which conveys the low end bass drum pattern that anchors the tune while additional keyboard patches drift around to fill out the space. The lullaby feel of "Wait" again provides some nice upper register bass lines that with multi-tracking provide some almost counter melodies over glistening keyboards. The disc's longest track at six minutes, the sneakily titled "18 Hz Guitar" moves along to a laid back, heavily reverbed drum machine, faux upright bass and synth stabs while heavily treated keyboard takes the drawn out melody through a few repetitions. Dub Tractor has created a soundscape that is very relaxed and attentive to musical detail. At only just over 38 minutes, repeated listenings are inevitable. 
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