Articles
2009 Top 10s and 20s
King Midas Sound
Starke

Albums
36
Aardvarck
Matias Aguayo
Anaphoria
Anduin
Arbol + Fibla
Aufgang
Beneva vs. Clark Nova
Black to Comm
Bvdub
Cornstar
Dinky
Enola
Fieldhead
FOURM / Shinkei / Turra
Billy Gomberg
The Green Kingdom
Chihei Hatakeyama
Ian Hawgood
Marek Hemmann
Khate
King Midas Sound
Marcel Knopf
Robot Koch
Lambent
Shinobu Nemoto
Olekranon
Laurent Perrier
Piano Magic
Porzellan
Pylône
Ryonkt
Shadyzane
Slow
Small Color
Solomun
The Sound of Lucrecia
Stray Ghost
The Use of Ashes
Sylvie Walder

Compilations / Mixes
Sebo K
Will Saul
Tama Sumo
VOLTT Amsterdam Vol. 1

EPs
Blindhæð
Roberto Bosco
Franco Cangelli
Dieb
dub KULT
Abe Duque/Blake Baxter
Gemmy
Christopher Hobbs
Duncan Ó Ceallaigh
Christopher Roberts
The Sight Below
Two Fourteen
Van Der Papen
Andy Vaz
Vetrix
Eddie Zarook

DVD
Optofonica

36: Hypersona
3six Recordings

You won't find much information about 36 on the recording's packaging—all we find there are the words “Everything by 36” and the clarification that Hypersona is “Part 1 of 3”; nor will you find much info at the 3six site, aside from learning that Hypersona is 36's debut album under the alias, and that the unidentified producer is an independent artist who's issued music previously (though not in the 36 style), has operated a vinyl-only label for over two years, and seemingly resides in Bradford, UK.

No matter. As we've said countless times before, what matters is the music, and the rest is so much window dressing. And, as is also often the case in such matters, the music on Hypersona holds up very well indeed sans contextual information. In twelve pieces, choral voices breathe softly alongside chiming keyboard melodies, with both punctuated by sampled voices and field recording elements that occasionally emerge. Put simply, it's lush, atmospheric electronic of the most satisfying kind. “Inside,” for example, is a thing of melancholy beauty, a hymnal meditation of gently whistling melodies warmed by the fireplace that crackles alongside the song's musical elements. The quiet majesty of the material and its patient execution certainly suggests that it's the work of someone with experience—life as well as musical—under his/her belt. The soundscaping mini-epic “Nephyr” cloaks its simple, wavering melody in multi-layers of vaporous tones; “Beacon,” by stark contrast, strips the layers away to allow pretty piano playing to reverberantly echo.

December 2009