steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

12000 Miles

"As the White Crane Flies" CD

self-released

Genre: electronic

UK / New Zealand

January 2010

Here we get some nutty hybrid of acoustic and electronic music, infusing whimsical flute parts with techno rhythms and swell synth elements. The main conspirators here are named drongomala and Boofa, from Britain and New Zealand respectively, and as their pseudonyms might suggest they're a couple of wacky music-makers. As the White Crane Flies blends IDM-ish, Plaid-inspired electronic music and jazzy flute playing, employing many swell basslines and hooks in the process. I'm especially fond of the smoothly melodic "V Formation" and spacey "Tsuru," both of which swing around the listener's memory fluently after a mere few listens. My critical scrawl cannot evade mentioning the importance of Iain Dixon's flute playing throughout this disc, which provides a more-than-competent accompaniment to the songs' other elements. However, while this record provides a swell backing for studying or washing the dishes, when placed in the foreground it gradually loses steam. At its best, 1200 Miles's effort is an intriguing if inconsistent bit of home-produced, techno-acoustic zaniness.

12000 miles' myspace

Michael Tau

[Vitals: 10 tracks, distributed by CD Baby, released May 27, 2009]