Category Archives: Switched On

Switched On – Tim Haze – Kidology (TimHaze)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

A first album from Tim Haze, member of Polish duo Tidy Daps. Haze likes to wear his influences on his sleeve, and to that effect has made an album of deep house with strong dubby flavours.

What’s the music like?

A good deal of planning has gone into this album, with a really satisfying fusion of dub and house. Haze manages the peaks and troughs to perfection, reaching a peak on Four On The Floor, with its rolling bass. Dreams is a really nice slower groove, while Dusit adds a bit of attitude, with a cool riff and slightly scuzzy beat. After a dreamy, hazy sax on First Time, and the fuzzy dub of Hello, Haze pulls a rabbit out of the hat in the form of Argus, a superb slice of deep house.

Does it all work?

It does – and Haze has stitched a really satisfying blend of house and dub to make an album that has just the right rise and fall.

Is it recommended?

Yes. An album that delivers some excellent club grooves but within the context of home listening, too. A fine debut from a producer who has the right blend.

For fans of… Matthew Herbert, David Alvarado, Silicone Soul, Jay Haze

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,561 – Thursday 12 June 2025

Switched On – Pye Corner Audio – Lake Deep Memory (quiet details)

Posted on by
1

by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

quiet details describe their temporary new signing, Martin Jenkins, as “a leading protagonist of widescreen dystopian electronica” in his Pye Corner Audio alias.

Lake Deep Memory, his contribution to the quiet details series, was inspired by a trip Jenkins made to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in 2024, where he had played a festival – and the music is his capture of the volcanic landscape in the vastness and ethereal soundscapes across the album. He also aims to portray the spiritual importance of the lake to locals.

A crucial element of his process is the “noises and submerged sounds that a lot of artists try to eradicate, such as noise, hums and hiss. Those are the quiet details that I bring to the foreground”, he says.

The artwork originates from a photo Martin took at the lake, which was then captured with analogue photography and processed at the quiet details studios. The album is also available as a continuous mix, with all eight tracks running without a break.

What’s the music like?

Extremely relaxing – but spiritually invigorating, too. The title track forms slowly, the flowing water of the lake portrayed in musical form, while Pyroclastic Flow has the steadying presence of a slow, three-note motif, like a chime. The listener becomes enveloped by the 360 degree ambience of Beneath The Noise Floor, a surrounding cloud of comforting minor-key noise, hanging in the air. Similarly Memoria Del Agua is suspended, though its weight is heavier and nearer the ground.

Rich colours are introduced for Infinite Symphony, with synthesized strings in slowly shifting open-air chords. Fumarole has a brighter outlook, a bracing chord that grows in stature through its long, sustained duration.

Finally Volcanic Rock has a sharper edge to its sound, and more of a melodic pattern that comes through from low to high range, its intensity growing but beautifully managed.

Does it all work?

It does – either as individual tracks or as a complete whole.

Is it recommended?

It is. If you need some time out and want some new music to go with it, Pye Corner Audio offers a wholly enlightening experience.

For fans of… Bvdub, Scanner, Global Communication, Biosphere, Loscil

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,559 – Monday 9 June 2025

Switched On – Lindstrøm – Sirius Syntoms (Feedelity)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

“I wanted to create something that feels freeing,” says Hans-Peter Lindstrøm about his latest album. “Music that lifts you up but also has depth—something that resonates emotionally and physically.” This is after a comparatively heavy previous album Everyone Else Is A Stranger, which – like 2019s On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever – saw him operating within bigger structures. For Sirius Syntoms he takes something of a ‘back to basics’ approach.

What’s the music like?

Lindstrøm’s latest is more of a stripped back affair, focusing on grooves and individual synth lines with less evidence of the airy pads he has used so effectively on previous albums. Yet it works really well, and sounds like it was a lot of fun to make. This sense of fun runs through all the instrumental tracks, with the breezy Cirkl a highlight, while Thousand Island Man is full of the joys with plenty of play between the synth parts. Lindstrøm brings a nice house piano and bird-like synth calls to These Are A Few Of My Favourite Strings, while the title track closes things out with an infectious groove, with a riff that reeks of Dan Hartman’s Relight My Fire.

Does it all work?

Pretty much. There is nothing radically new in Lindstrøm’s approach this time around, but equally the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ adage applies itself well.

Is it recommended?

It is. For an album of feelgood electronic music, you don’t have to look much further!

For fans of… Prins Thomas, Mr Scruff, Lemon Jelly, Todd Terje

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,558 – Sunday 8 June 2025

Switched On – Peter Gregson: Peter Gregson (Decca)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Cellist Peter Gregson releases a self-titled album, his most profound and direct expression yet.

This is partly because his set-up is a very personal one, his cello complemented by a homemade synthesizer. As he describes in the press release, “A modular synthesizer typically would have an oscillator, and then go into filters, maybe a sequencer, reverb, delays – things to create a complete sound world”.

The synthesizer is entirely in thrall to the cello, with a mic input allowing him to use every sound the cello makes, at a wide range of frequencies, for expressive purposes. This he does on the album, with nine fluid and personal pieces.

What’s the music like?

Intimate – but with surprising and pleasing twists and turns along the way.

Vision is cleverly realised and highly expressive, using treated pizzicato to good effect from the outset.

Constellation repeats the trick but with a more obviously poppy riff, the pizzicato supporting a songful line, over which Gregson develops an appealing electronic chatter that becomes ever more mesmerising.

Song is at the heart of utterances such as Ritual and Prayer, which by their titles are more inward looking pieces but where Gregson also reveals the influence of composers who wrote more explicitly for the cello, such as Ernest Bloch.

Does it all work?

Yes, it does – Gregson plays with a beautiful sound, and the electronic enhancements are tastefully and thoughtfully applied.

Is it recommended?

It is, both for those looking for periods of reflection and for listeners who enjoy the creative process laid bare..

For fans of… Max Richter, Julia Kent, Nils Frahm, Ryan Teague

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,553 – Tuesday 3 June 2025

Switched On – Gordon Chapman-Fox: Very Quiet Music To Be Played Very Loudly (Lunar Module)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

This album marks a new chapter for the much-loved Castles in Space label, marking the launch of their Lunar Module CD imprint. Label devotees will note that Gordon Chapman-Fox is the man behind Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, and here we get to see his immersive, ambient side. The intention is for the listener to turn up the volume and dive headlong into the wide-open sound world.

What’s the music like?

There is an appealing subtlety to Chapman-Fox’s ambient work, though as he says it is most definitely not background music. It is instead music where you can enjoy the evolution process, either through close study or by stepping back to take in the whole. Working with orchestral sound libraries, Chapman-Fox creates an analogue sound, keen to keep the human elements of a wordless choir or of a bow scraping across a stringed instrument.

Components begins what is effectively a four-movement suite like the onward approach of a cloud, with broad textures and widely spaced drones, but also a front that has more defined musical features. Fringe acquires a brooding edge, with delicacy at its core but a structure that moves slowly but surely. Emphasis brings forward this vulnerability, the wordless choir a soothing constant as a soft, keyboard instrument traces lines against the sky. Finally Singular, which is less defined initially, but whose scratchy sound gains a treble element that glints against the dense backdrop rather beautifully.

Does it all work?

It does – and by moving slowly yet incrementally, Chapman-Fox achieves his objective to make people listen, either by stealth or by direct attention.

Is it recommended?

It is. Play this music very loudly and it will be an all-encompassing experience, while at the very least it will bring intense moments of calm to your world.

For fans of… Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Max Richter, A Winged Victory For The Sullen

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,552 – Monday 2 June 2025