steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Michael Oster

"Better, Stronger, Faster, and Almost Housebroken" CDR

F7 Sound and Vision

Genres: experimental, electronic, sound collage

Michael Oster
17732 Nathan's Drive
Tampa FL 33647

Dec 1 - 7 2003

Michael Oster is the proud owner of F7 Sound and Vision, a studio based in Tampa, Florida, and along with recording and mixing other bands' artists, he dabbles in his own experimental solo project.  His style is a combination of glitch and noise music, as he takes electronic sounds (damaged tape, bent electrical circuits) and organizes them into long, complicated sound collages à la Aube or Social Interiors.

If one thing's for sure, it's that the music here is for dedicated experimental music lovers only.  While Oster's style is interesting and decently original, it's also very bizarre and far from melodic.  As a soundscape played in the dark, it could have a very intriguing feel - kind of dark and warped.  "Bent but not Broken" especially would make for good pitch-black listening.

I would be interested in learning more about Oster's techniques.  This disc comes with very sparse information, and perhaps Michael would be well-advised to include some explicatory liner notes to give more context to his music.  He might also try using a wider array of sounds to create his pieces, as over this album's sixty-five minute playing time, the listener can start to feel as if the music is a bit too repetitive.

Overall, this is an intriguing, well-executed glitch album by obscure newcomer Michael Oster.  With a bit less repetition, and perhaps a bit more traditional structural elements (melody, rhythm), he could really garner some attention for himself.  At this point, however, Better, Stronger, Faster and Almost Housebroken remains an album solely for serious glitch and experimental electronic music listeners.

80%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 5 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2003]