Category Archives: Switched On

Switched On – Maps: Counter Melodies (Mute)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

James Chapman is breaking new ground with his fifth long player under the Maps pseudonym.

Whereas we have previously admired his crafting of richly coloured soundscapes and winsome melodies, Chapman has gone for broke this time and made a number of concessions in the direction of 1990s dance music.

This brings a whole new element to his style of compositions, and an album that began to form in the wake of his 2019 opus Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss. now has its own platform. In addition, Counter Melodies is structured as a DJ set might be.

What’s the music like?

In a word, euphoric. James Chapman has been sitting on this natural instinct for a while, and right from the dazzling salvo of synths starting Witchy Feel it is clear that he knows exactly how to make people dance.

As Counter Melodies progresses, the energy levels remain turned up to the max. Windows Open is upfront and brightly coloured, while a plethora of rave references and rhythm patterns lead to euphoric breakdowns, best experienced in the likes of Lack Of Sleep – which was indeed inspired by insomnia, a time of worry put to good use.

Heya Yaha demonstrates a rhythmic versatility we haven’t seen before from Chapman, with a really good rhythm, given a more jagged profile. Thru Lights is lent an exotic colour with what sounds like a cimbalom, typical of this album’s willingness to throw expectations out of the window.

Does it all work?

It does – colourful, energetic and pleasingly rough around the edges.

Is it recommended?

Very much so. A surprise for Maps fans, which may take a little bit of getting used to – but James Chapman has succeeded in bringing the living, breathing, sweating dancefloor right to the middle of your living room.

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Switched On – Henrik Lindstrand: Klangland (One Little Independent)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Having completed a solo piano trilogy, Henrik Lindstrand felt the need to expand his musical horizons. He chose a 16-piece string ensemble, who recorded the material for Klangland in Berlin under the direction of conductor Robert Ames and engineer Francesco Donadello.

Lindstrand’s aim in this music is to work with compressed musical ideas but communicate them in a powerful emotional manner. The title of the album, Klangland (translating as Soundland) suggests this will be done in a series of sonic portraits.

What’s the music like?

Both simple and effective. The ‘simple’ observation is not meant as a sleight, rather an observation that Lindstrand is able to work minimal material into something deeply meaningful. You only have to listen to the first piece, Jord, to see the immediate impact this music can make. The string sound is malleable, the strings often playing without vibrato to secure a sound of glassy clarity. This particular track takes in an airy panorama, with silvery violas, slightly gritty cellos and serene violins – and the timely addition of a piano at the end.

Throughout, Lindstrand’s use of strings is a cut above the ‘standard’ usage, using them economically and effectively. Post finds them almost stock still, using harmonics with no vibrato, before warmer thoughts emerge lower in the range, a solo viola added to the mix. The phrasing in pieces such as Tumlare takes the music deeper, with swooping figures towards the end imitating birds on the wing, having helped contribute to a spacious backdrop with rippling piano.

The piano prompts the internal musings of Gammafly and Tuvstarr, the textures crisp and cold, and with the free thoughts of the cello added to the latter. Cellos are key to the success of Millimeter, where the composer explores a more urgent series of melodic lines, spreading out to the wider extremes of the instruments.

Lindstrand’s cinematic abilities are frequently seen, in the opening out of Leva’s melody, or the instrumental doubling and subtle brush work on the drums that help paint such a vivid picture for CPH-ARN. Klangland itself is the crowning glory, rich in colour and enjoying a modal melody from the piano.

Does it all work?

It does. Lindstrand’s concentrated approach means the subtle intensity of his writing never lets up, and closer listening reveals the attention to detail in the orchestration. You can even here the pedals of the piano in closing track Hvid, for instance!

Is it recommended?

It is. In a crowded field, Henrik Lindstrand has a distinctive voice and music of subtle yet deep meaning.

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Switched On – John Foxx: Avenham (Metamatic)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

John Foxx is very much back on the radar. His musical activity for 2023 begins with a limited edition, album length release. Avenham is documented as being ‘inspired by a place he knew as a young man but it’s more than a location. It’s less defined, more dispersed and mysterious than that’.

This intriguing text that will draw in fans of the instrumentalist and one-time Ultravox member, who has in his solo career shown himself to be a multi-disciplined musician. Avenham fits into a line of releases including London Overgrown, My Lost City, the revered Drift Music with Harold Budd and the Codex album as part of the Ghost Harmonic trio.

“Avenham is a real place”, says Foxx, “that’s also as mythical as the gates of Eden. So the music is likewise nebulous and impressionistic – a view from here to a time which occurs in almost everyone’s life, when the world becomes a radiant place of infinite mystery and promise – and everything seems possible.”

What’s the music like?

A mixture of serenity and activity. The relatively ambiguous accompanying text is helpful, for it means the listener can create their own Avenham. For this particular listener it feels like a green space, rich in both light and shade, a place of fertile ground but also slow-moving growth – all things that are reflected in the cover image.

Regular Foxx listeners will feel at home in the elegant lines of On Waking, a timeless evocation – unlike Ampurias to Ithaka, which is more obviously a distant relation of 1980s synthesizer music, with a slightly manipulated treble sound complemented by piano. Dream Through Trees is particularly lovely, a string-based composition with dappled textures, while time stands still as the single melodic lines of The Best Of Us spin silvery webs. Avenham itself carries more weight, while A Murmuration provides one of several moments where the influence on Moby’s longer ambient music can be discerned.

Does it all work?

Yes. Avenham is the ideal accompaniment for meditative thoughts and exercises, and is confident enough in its own abilities to often operate completely without a bass part. As a result it offers a uniquely weightless sound.

Is it recommended?

It is. As we eagerly anticipate Foxx’s first ever solo piano album, The Arcades Project, here is a more familiar side to his work. Avenham is a restful place for recharge and reparation.

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Switched On – Sam Goku: Things We See When We Look Closer (Permanent Vacation)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

This is a second album for the Munich-based, Chinese-German musician Robin Wang, who records under the name Sam Goku.

Goku is reaching a lot of admirers, his eclectic approach to electronic music reaching the DJ sets of Four Tet and Ben UFO among many others. For this second album he switches to a ‘home’ label, the acclaimed Munich imprint Permanent Vacation.

What’s the music like?

A notch up from the average. Goku’s music continues to use attractive textures and loops with something a little different or distinctive added.

This can be heard in the lush title track, rich in Eastern promise, or the ambience of distracted voices and busy, watery loops on Mangrove Railways. He also works different tempo variations into the mix, with Libellenflug a nippy, percussive track that still retains its ambience, and the busy Orchids. The album evolves gradually, the quiet Yellow River Drone picking up more momentum as Goku moves into Cycles, with its softly resonating melodic nuggets. The momentum builds further, the album progressing as a strongly unified single composition, but also rewarding more fragmented listening.

Does it all work?

It does, convincingly – Goku securing a colourful canvas and plenty of musical interest.

Is it recommended?

Yes. Goku’s beat making skills and ability for creating colourful scenes in his music are a great match, and listening on headphones only opens out the possibilities. A fine sequel to his promising East Dimensional Riddims debut.

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Switched On – Samuel Rohrer: Codes Of Nature (Arjuna Music)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Samuel Rohrer thrives on collaboration within music. His credits are a veritable roll call of electronic and percussive music, listing Ambiq, Ricardo Villalobos, Max Loderbauer, Tobias Freund and Oren Ambarchi among his co-workers. On Codes Of Nature, however, the multi-skilled instrumentalist closes ranks and delivers an album as a one-man band.

His Bandcamp page credits Rohrer for contributions on drums, modular synths, electronics, keyboard, cymbals and percussion – a tightly knit unit that the prolific composer has wound into an album of six extended tracks.

What’s the music like?

Rohrer’s music is deceptive, a bubbling cooking pot of invention. On the surface the casual listener might think there is little going on, but delve deeper into his workings and all the percussive nuances and compressed melodic loops are revealed.

Body Of Lies is carefully moulded into a living, breathing organism, with plenty of small musical figures competing for space but complementing each other. Rohrer carefully adds light and shade to the track, with brushed percussion and trimmings of a slightly dubby nature.

Scapegoat Principle travels further afield, using distant vocal samples and stretched out, syncopated figures to create tension. The open-air approach gives the feeling of approaching a distant tribe, especially when Rohrer introduces a busy, shimmering figure.

On Fourth Density the textures open out, presenting a spacious sound before long melodic lines and intricate synth / percussion interplay take over. Clocking in at nearly eleven minutes, The Banality Of Evil is the longest track on the album, and it shows once again Rohrer’s easy grasp of bigger structures. The layer of percussion underneath the surface keeps things ticking over nicely, while drone-like figures drift in and out of focus above. Gradually the treble gets busier and the sounds become displaced, leaving a slightly woozy but oddly compelling outlook.

Talking To Nature Spirits is very easy on the ear, nearly ten minutes of aural balm with its oscillating loops and outdoor sounds. The pitch is firmly rooted but Rohrer plays clever tricks with cross rhythms, creating bursts of positive energy above the static undercarriage. Final track Resurrection responds to this with a more improvised outlook, scattered sounds and consonant harmonies creating an ambient collage.

Does it all work?

Yes, provided the right listening conditions are met. Listening to Codes Of Nature when on the move is unhelpful, for unless you have the right headphones a lot of its subtleties are lost to the surrounding noise. Better to be listening in a confined space, when all the workings can be revealed.

Is it recommended?

Yes – an atmospheric album that reveals more of its finely wrought treasures with each listen. A thoroughly intriguing and involving addition to Samuel Rohrer’s already impressive body of work.

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