Albums
John Luther Adams
Félicia Atkinson
Cardopusher
Matt Christensen
Enrico Coniglio
Coniglio / Under the Snow
Dakota Suite
Deadbeat
Deepchord
Vladislav Delay Quartet
DJ W!LD
Dreissk
Mark E
Marcus Fjellström
Fourcolor
Fovea Hex
Ákos Garai
Kreng
Lerosa
Machinedrum
Mem1 + Stephen Vitiello
Message to Bears
Novi_sad
Rick Reed
Alexander Rishaug
Jannick Schou
Secret Cinema
Seven Saturdays
Sleeps in Oysters
Sound People
Strom Noir
Ryan Teague
thisquietarmy
thisquietarmy + Yellow6
Amon Tobin
Alexander Turnquist
Damian Valles
Vetrix
Simon Whetham
Winterlight
Compilations / Mixes
Brownswood Electr*c 2
Laid Compilation
Prosumer
EPs
David Åhlén
Arkhonia
Bad Sector
Bengalfuel
Wil Bolton
Ed Cooke
Davis / Kleefstras
Detroit: DeepConstructed
d'incise
Final Cut
Gang Colours
Richard A Ingram
Pfirter / Dadub
Nils Quak
Rhythm Baboon
Rumpistol
Mark Templeton
Damian Valles
Josh Varnedore
Bengalfuel: Sprague
Hibernate
Lou DiBenedetto left a memorable mark on textura's last issue in the form of his Dentist full-length Cuts and now leaves another by collaborating with Joe LiTrenta (aka Doc Deem) under the Bengalfuel name for the also satisfying EP Sprague. In the first of what's intended to be a four-part series, the three-inch disc (100 copies available) presents four pieces that were produced during the friends' first session together (for the record, the duo established Bengalfuel in 2009 and have since issued Durban on the Polish net-label Isolationism and a Rural Colours EP called Feldspar). By their own admission, the duo takes inspiration for its output in spiritual entities and regards its music as an offering to bring peace to tormented souls. There's no need to fear such high-mindedness, though, as the music speaks perfectly well on its own lush terms. With one exception, the EP presents gorgeous ambient soundscaping produced using gear such as analog synthesizers, drum machines, and a vocoder. Very much in the Dentist mold, “Vaporized” more than lives up to its name in its five-minute setting of lighter-than-air swirl, while “Forest Ghost” and “Concentrate” are both beautifully celestial in character. “Polo Technician (Rat Trash Mix),” on the other hand, proves to be a different animal altogether, as it merges ambient cloudscapes with a driving, cymbal-laden beat pulse and robotic punctuations. That second cut might have been better positioned last, given how disruptive its anamolous presence turns out to be in the EP's context; even so, it doesn't negate the strong impact the three more purely ambient pieces make.
June 2011