Christ.: Vernor Vinge
Benbecula

Christ. follows his 2003 album Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle and 2005 EP Seeing and Doing with two lush samplings of finely-honed pastoral electronica and a pair of remixes on his latest 12-inch vinyl EP Vernor Vinge (the release, in fact, a limited-vinyl promo for Blue Shift Emissions). The vibe is generally mellow but lovely nonetheless, with the creamiest of chord changes caressing the listener in the melancholy “Vernor Vinge,” the tune's dreamy flow enhanced by the crisp snap of a faded drum pulse. Christ.'s Boards of Canada connection is clearly apparent in the brief “Sunny Cloudy Day” where a woozy synth melody lazily drifts over a sea of dense crackle.

The mood naturally shifts in the remixes by Benbecula label-mate Prhizzm and dDamage (Planet Mu). The former's “Happyfour Twenty” steps out in a sunny clockwork strut and interlaces warm chords with the fiery glow of a synth melody while the latter's storming “Ray Breakout” is the most aggressive cut of the four. The question naturally arises: Does the imminent arrival of Christ.'s sophomore album invalidate the EP? Not when only one song (“Vernor Vinge”) re-appears on the full-length with the others vinyl exclusives.

May 2006