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Todd Anderson-Kunert, "A Good Time to Go"
Australia’s Todd Anderson-Kunert’s discography as a sound artist may have been relatively brief thus far (his earliest solo electronic work as Autonomous dates from 2007), but the quality has been exceptionally strong given his relative newness on the scene, and A Good Time to Go is no different. His blend of experimental electronics is an especially dynamic one that builds brilliantly from piece to piece on this tape, covering a wide spectrum of mood and diversity, while still functioning as a cohesive album.
One of the most striking aspects of A Good Time to Go is his focus on keeping the sound developing and evolving from beginning to end.Right from the opening "No.," this is obvious, with its deep, drum-like sounds stabbing aggressively through, leaving a trail of granular sounds and microscopic bits of sound.There is a sense of structure within the chaotic spaces, and a commanding shift once he brings in some expansive, thick low end bass sounds.Some more obvious synth moments are paired with abstract static bits to make for a strong mix of sounds, all done within the span of five minutes.The following "It's Taking Forever" continues to exemplify his penchant for bass frequencies, with a heavy rumble underscoring an overall audio creeping.He may work in some lighter, twinkling synthesizer passages, but the mood is kept dark via massive doomy thuds and sinister swells.The mix becomes sparser as it goes on, but the mood does not really lighten at any point.
For "A Moment to Have," he steers the composition into some more ominous territories.Slowly evolving textures are juxtaposed with silent passages as high frequency sci-fi sounds and some bizarre animal-like groans bore through the mix.There is an oddly natural, organic quality to the instrumentation that makes it even more unsettling.Sitting right in the middle of the running order though, Todd uses this as a transitional piece, with the mood becoming somewhat lighter from then on.
The buzzing interference and dying synths of "When, Now?" may not illustrate this shift too well at first, but within the noisier sections, Todd incorporates some cleaner tones and sounds. These eventually resemble a melodic progression, bringing a bit of light into the surrounding darkness.Percussive bits and a bleak electronic hum lead off "It's Ok," but on the whole there is more breathing room and openness throughout.The mood starts to become darker once again, however, with drum-like thuds echoing through like thunder, bringing along clouds of static to darken things back up as the tape comes to a close.
Within the span of a half hour, A Good Time to Go is a dense suite of songs that capture change perfectly.Todd Anderson-Kuner'’s composition and performance have a sense of unity from piece to piece, but they are constantly changing and developing from moment to moment.The change is a good thing, and never does it seem meandering or overly repetitive.The final product is an excellent balance between consistency and evolution, making for an excellent work from beginning to end.
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