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] |