VA: Subvaritrax™
subVariant

Though one is struck initially by Subvaritrax TM 's distinctive pharmaceutical packaging, the comp's presentation is trumped by the potency of the medication itself. Virtually a primer for current electronic music trends, the release collects what could be the best bits from imaginary comps by Merck, Neo Ouija, Spectral Sound, and Minus into an 80-minute, 17-track set. Such largesse is often wearying, but subVariant head Liz McLean Knight (the multi-hyphenate also records under the Quantezelle guise, publishes the web ‘zine Modsquare, and runs the jewelry design company Zelle) maintains interest by extending the stylistic range beyond a single genre. That the disc encompasses melodic IDM, tech-house, and minimal techno shouldn't surprise either, given a range of contributors that includes Marshall Watson (Highpoint Lowlife), Sense (Neo Ouija), Tim Koch (Merck), Kero (Shitkatapult), and Ochre (Toytronic).

Sparkling streams of glistening melodies unfurl throughout Phylum Sinter's (Detroit-based Christopher Todd) “Monastic Phase,” Sense's (Melbourne musician Adam Raisbeck) “Gift,” and Ochre's (Chris Leary) buoyant epilogue “Copacetia” while boisterous breaks splatter and flail in tracks by Marshall Watson and Quench (aka Funckarma, Netherlands-based Don and Roel Funcken). edIT's (Ed Ma, Planet-Mu) fabulous stutter-crunk oasis “Spare Spork” is an album highlight, as is Knight's own Quantezelle cut “Late Blazing Kinch Theme,” an entrancing intertwine of scurrying percolations and harp melodies. On the techno front, Frederique Garvin drops twitchy, bass-throbbing machine-funk in “Not So Hot,” Derek Michael coaxes whirrs and groans from his gear in “Similak Jiggles,” and Matthew Mercer and Detroit Underground label head Kero (Sohail Azad) take schaffel strolls in their respective outings. While R_Garcia's gleefully stomping, arcade-flavoured “Honkeywrench” impresses too, the album's peak arrives with Popkan's (Tom Erdmann) “Broken Lighter,” a tasty sampling of funky, Minus-styled minimal house. While Erdmann's micro-sampled field of blips, smears, and croaks sounds incredible, it's the little kick he adds to the tail end of the warping bass line that's pure genius.

October 2005