Solipsism: Hypnagogo
Ambidextrous
Solipsism:
Machine Stone Shines
Ambidextrous
Issued on the Glasgow-based Ambidextrous imprint, Hypnagogo and Machine Stone Shines are fresh vinyl sets from Craig Murphy under his long-standing Solipsism moniker. Though Murphy might be generally associated with experimental electronica, the material on these four-track EPs is heavily influenced by downtempo hip-hop (Hypnagogo especially) and as such their woozy instrumentals would sound equally at home on a label like Project Mooncircle as Ambidextrous.
On Hypnagogo, a low-end banger such as “Error Hash Mirror Mountain” certainly suggests Murphy's been keeping his ear to the ground. More bass music than electronica (even if the result's a seamless blend of the two), the cut writhes with bass-thrusting purpose before a flickering swarm of synthetic fireflies shifts the focus away from the rumble. That hip-hop vibe emerges even more conspicuously in the low-slung groove Murphy uses to turn “Sea Dweller” into a seriously shuffling head-nodder, while “Hypnagogo” serves up tripped-out swing to aromatic effect. Rounding out the EP is “Fast Rubber Taxis,” which tips the balance slightly back towards electronica in working a clangorous melodic treatment into its pumping strut.
The soon-to-be-released Machine Stone Shines is a natural companion to Hypnagogo, even if the former adds futuristic techno and house to its downtempo design. Filled with loopy accents and radiant atmospherics, the title track shuffles with half-dazed insistence down a carnival boardwalk during a particularly wild night. Murphy then sets hip-hop aside for techno in “Fuzzy Frequencies Flower” with a kick drum-driven club groove leading the charge, and changes things up again on “Heart of the Android” with a crackle-smeared Chain Reaction re-imagining that's equal parts ambient, techno, and house. At EP's end, “Afternoon Blowout” re-establishes the woozy vibe of “Machine Stone Shines” with four rolling minutes of crisp, tightly coiled rattle'n'thrum. All eight of the releases' cuts weigh in at about four to five minutes at a time, long enough to make a strong impact but not so long the welcome's overstayed.April 2018