Anodyne: Corrosion
Psychonavigation

Ireland-based electronic producer Colin N Cloughley delivers the goods on his latest anodyne outing Corrosion. On twelve tracks influenced by the likes of Autechre, Black Dog, and U-Ziq, Cloughley gives his old-school electro-acid-IDM a viral twist by powering most of it with fulminating breakbeats. The album opens on an atmospheric tip with the brooding techno of “When The Sky Fell Down” but its low-key vibe hardly suggests that what comes after will be as powerful and heavy as it turns out to be. A “Firestarter”-like breakbeat attack gives “Close Your Eyes” considerable oomph while sweeping string synths and cryptic voice murmurs bring a dark and cinematic ambiance to the tune. There's nothing lacklustre about “Darken” either when its pounding beats throb and acid synths burn with epic determination; the track's style may be familiar, but the energy and enthusiasm levels Cloughley brings to the material are through the roof. “Chemical Sunset” apparently was inspired by a drive Cloughley took through Dublin as the sunlight faded but, in keeping with its title, the track also oozes the kind of middle-of-the-night delirium one associates with rave culture, especially when its synthetic strings arc across the multi-hued sky, and fireballs such as “Haze,” “Walk Into Darkness,” and “Alchemy” show that there's no shortage of energy when the album hits the home stretch. Think pulsating cuts filled with sweeping synth atmospherics and driven by raw, stomping beats and you've pretty much got the right idea.

June 2010