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Dykehouse, "Dynamicobsolescence"
MikeDykehouse (yes, it's his real last name) recorded this effort, hisfirst release on the Planet Mu label, on 4-track, then it was mixed,mastered, edited, and reconstructed by Mike Paradinas, the banalincubus known as µ-Ziq.
The end result comes out sounding like thesoundtrack to Gran Turismo mixed with cutscene music from NYPD Blue andthe keyboard demo on Casio keyboards, and set in the backdrop of"Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." That's right: pretty uninspired,mostly keyboard-created drivel. And that's not to say it's withouthope. There are tracks on here that are passable, and they mostlyinvolve lush keyboards with samples, and clever changes in the middle.Most of this music, however, is just modern electronic mastery appliedto classic Detroit techno—Dykehouse hails from Kalamazoo—which makes itsound incredibly obsolete as well as repetitive. And when somethingcomes across that is genuinely stunning ("Humid Easel Hockey," forinstance), it only lasts long enough to get you addicted to thatstuttering beat and pretty keyboards, then it fades away. EvenParadinas himself, whose involvement is often both a blessing and acurse, offers a non-commital description of dykehouse on the Planet Muwebsite ("it was pretty good" and "so it's like Moodyman meetsAutechre, however awful that sounds" are the high points). There isextreme potential here. The high points on this CD blow the rest of itout of the water. I found myself wishing that the rest of the CD hadthe same sound of the fantastic triple-shot of "Hockey," "The Patina ofAccumulation," and "Kalamazoo." Sadly, that's the best it offers. Thenit disintegrates under the weight of a limited palette and lack offresh ideas. I'd like to hear more, perhaps downloading the MP3 albumhe has on the Planet Mu website. But this release left me as uninspiredas it sounds like Mike was making it.
The end result comes out sounding like thesoundtrack to Gran Turismo mixed with cutscene music from NYPD Blue andthe keyboard demo on Casio keyboards, and set in the backdrop of"Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." That's right: pretty uninspired,mostly keyboard-created drivel. And that's not to say it's withouthope. There are tracks on here that are passable, and they mostlyinvolve lush keyboards with samples, and clever changes in the middle.Most of this music, however, is just modern electronic mastery appliedto classic Detroit techno—Dykehouse hails from Kalamazoo—which makes itsound incredibly obsolete as well as repetitive. And when somethingcomes across that is genuinely stunning ("Humid Easel Hockey," forinstance), it only lasts long enough to get you addicted to thatstuttering beat and pretty keyboards, then it fades away. EvenParadinas himself, whose involvement is often both a blessing and acurse, offers a non-commital description of dykehouse on the Planet Muwebsite ("it was pretty good" and "so it's like Moodyman meetsAutechre, however awful that sounds" are the high points). There isextreme potential here. The high points on this CD blow the rest of itout of the water. I found myself wishing that the rest of the CD hadthe same sound of the fantastic triple-shot of "Hockey," "The Patina ofAccumulation," and "Kalamazoo." Sadly, that's the best it offers. Thenit disintegrates under the weight of a limited palette and lack offresh ideas. I'd like to hear more, perhaps downloading the MP3 albumhe has on the Planet Mu website. But this release left me as uninspiredas it sounds like Mike was making it.
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