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sybarite, "scene of the crime"
Much like Isan, Xian Hawkins has also built a strong career on a number of incredibly noteworthy electronics-laden 7" single releases. This one is no exception. Released shortly after his full-length 4AD debut, the A-side is a brand new song while the B-side, "The Fourth Way," is an alternate version of "The Fourth Day" from the 'Nonument' LP.
The two paired together prominently feature Xian's adventures exploring the sound of the human voice, something uncommon to the Sybarite sound. "The Fourth Way" features vocal samples while "Scene of the Crime" features singing by Jennifer Charles. In both cases, the vocals work fantastically alongside Hawkins' multi-instrumental electronic playings and reprocessings. "Scene of the Crime" has some amazingly strong guitar sounds while "The Fourth Way" has one of those melodies that gets stuck in your head all day long. Hawkins is used to recording and releasing music in tiny batches and, in all honesty, I think the quality of each of these two songs alone is far superior to much of his full-length album. A CD version of this single contains one additional exclusive track, "International Date Line." Sybarite's 'Travels in Constants' EP should be available either now or very soon from Temporary Residence.
 
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