Fenton - Pup - Plop - CD

Dan Abrams is probably better know as Shuttle358 and, judging by the impact that his previous work for both 12k and Mille Plateaux has already had, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to describe him as a very influential figure within modern Electronica circles.

So, it was with a large degree of excitement that I opened up the package of this, his latest project, on the wonderful Japanese label Plop [which already has a high pedigree of releases from the likes of F.S. Blumm, Fonica, :Gel, Sora, Pola and more].

As expected this is everything you could possibly want from a Dan Abrams album and forms a natural and free-flowing follow-up to 'Chessa', released on 12k at the end of 2004. In fact, the last track of that album seems to hint at what lies ahead on 'Pup' and you'd be forgiven for thinking that they have come from the same recording session, so similar in concept are they.

Whereas the delicate ambient electronics of his previous work were very much the product of computers and hardware, the gently lilting tones of 'Pup' are decidedly organic in nature using, as they do, guitars for the most part and a luscious, lightly manipulated feel to add even more depth to the sounds. Every track here could easily be part of an overall theme and the subtle picking and playing of melodies is warm, friendly and very engaging from beginning to end.

There isn't a wasted moment here and when it's not providing deep soundscapes for you to bliss out to, there are tracks that have a structured, song-like quality that almost beg for a vocal interpretation... that would be to miss the point, however. This is instrumental music at heart and should, in my opinion, always remain so.

I'd go so far as to say that this is one of the highest points achieved thus far in the somewhat crowded field of 'organic' Electronica and has seen many repeated plays. And no doubt it will continue to do so for quite some time...