steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Rumpistol

"Dynamo" CD

Rump Recordings

Genre: electronic, glitch

Copenhagen, Denmark

Oct 17, 2008

Denmark's Rumpistol has been on the scene for awhile now. Five years ago, he put out his eponymous debut on the now-bustling Rump label; since then, he's been quietly making a name for himself in the electronic music underground. His sound is a glitchy, clicky brew, combining mathematical rhythms with crisp atmospherics and smart melodies. Post-rock-laced "Refleksion," replete with a catchy guitar line, sees Rumpistol at his best; it is a smart, memorable piece of electronic music with connections to early Pluramon work.

Five years on the scene have definitely left their mark on Dynamo - professional and original, this is an impeccably polished record worthy of patronage by any keen electronic music enthusiast. Due to their abstract manner, it can be difficult to conceptualize these eight tracks as individual compositions rather than one whole movement, and this sense of unity is magnified by Rumpistol's adherence to a fairly consistent formula. Certainly, certain tracks have different personalities - "Kocmoc" is dreary and meditative, "Beito" is vast and dramatic, and Mouse on Mars-esque "Mobile" is captivatingly skittish. Still, any disparate elements found between tracks come together to form a convincing whole.

Perhaps the best aspect of Dynamo is its individuality. Certainly, the concepts contained within are all culled from previous sources – such is the case in electronic music and virtually any genre around today. But the songs themselves, wrapped up and put together, are distinctly Rumpistol's own. And as far as contemporary electronic music goes, they're top of the line.

rumpistol's myspace

85%

youuuuuuuutube!: video of "tape swamp" from last album

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 8 tracks, distributed by the label, released October 20, 2008]