Cex
"Starship Galactica" CD
Temporary
Residence Ltd
Genres: electro, IDM
June 6 - 12 2005 |
This Cex disc is a reissue of Ryjan Kidwell's 2001
sophomore album, a hard-to-find CD that came out on the 555 Recordings
imprint. As added incentive, Temporary Residence has added three
bonus tracks to the record, and has glossed up the packaging to appeal
to modern-day hip standards.
Musically, this disc sees Cex in top form. This is
electro with attitude - Ryjan intersperses delicious slabs of
IDM with clever skits to create a fun yet cohesive record. The
tracks run the gamut from Boards of Canada style IDM ("Cal
and Brady Style," "Cex Can Kiss My Soft, Sensuous
Lips") to Mouse on Mars-esque glitchy techno ("Get in
Yr Squads," "Your Handwriting When You Were a Chlid in the
Winter"). The short little skits add novelty value, each
one with its own silly gag. The title-track, "Starship
Galactica," meanwhile, is a goofy little relic seemingly from someone's old
home recordings.
The three bonus tracks add some depth to the record - they were
apparently done in 1996, the first songs Ryjan ever made on his
computer. Considering this, they're pretty impressive:
"Friends Fall Down" is a piece of dark, videogame influenced
electro that lays a bunch of vocal samples onto a dense techno
backbone, "Monster-Face Pills" is a rapid (though bland)
slab of typical electronica, and "Bunky" is a messy albeit
entertaining gob of deranged IDM. Obviously the bonus tracks
aren't as smooth or professional as Cex's later work, but they
add some interesting context to Ryjan's development as a
musician.
Anyone with an interest in IDM and indie electronica needs to check
out this reissue. Cex is one of the scene's modern
leaders, and Starship Galactica stands to be seen as one of the genre's
more important records a few years from now.
89%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
11 tracks + 1 hidden, distributed by the
label, released 2005] |
