Level - Cycla - Spekk - CD

After the resounding brilliance and beauty of Spekk's 'Small Melodies' compilation [KK:005] comes another gem in the form of Level's superb 'Cycla' CD [KK:007].

There's nothing more pleasing than receiving a piece of work that has clearly been constructed in a thoughtful and knowing way and this certainly lives up to the incredibly high expectations that I had for it.

The only real surprise is that Level didn't have a track included on the aforementioned compilation, although the more you listen to this delightful work the more it becomes clear that this is moving down a substantially different, albeit linked, avenue than the previous Spekk releases.

Taylor Deupree, William Basinski, Richard Chartier and John Hudak have all provided sculpted soundscapes right from the beginning and this certainly follows in those footsteps, but with a different sort of flourish: it's more Berlin-centric, if you will... a slightly dubbier beast, in attitude, if not actual sound and there are certain moments that bring to mind the early (and, conceivably best) works of Vladislav Delay.

Long, heavy and, initially at least, claustrophobic textures are the mainstay of this album and the combination of this with amazingly subtle, clanking, background percussion give the whole thing a mechanical feel that, I suspect, belies its organic roots.

Interestingly, having read an interview with Level (on the excellent Polymorphic Music website) I discovered that the artist considers his sound to be possibly too minimal and that people would imagine his sounds would need extra layers to complete the compositions... a claim that I would utterly refute. If ever there was a full sounding and beautifully layered collection of tracks, this is it.

One can only speculate as to the reason behind this comment, but I for one (and, I suspect, an awful lot of other minimal Electronica fans) would agree that this works on several different layers... none of them too minimal.

From the opening tones of 'Sensit' to the closing moments of 'Ferna' we're treated to an exemplary collection of reduced electronic atmospheres that are crafted with skill and depth to create an instantly hypnotic feel. Manipulated instruments, processed sounds and wonderful hints of wide-open reverb all drenched in a seemingly boundless, and timeless, ambience.

There are no beats to speak of, just hints of rhythmic sound using slowed down beats in an abstract, off-kilter way... but then, this style of music doesn't need the obvious pulsating of a kick drum or a crunchy 8-bit break to drive it forward. It simply has its own momentum which moves you ever forward from track to track until you, inevitably, reach the end and find that you simply must listen to it again.

There are some genuinely heartbreakingly beautiful moments contained within and 'Aler Besc', particularly, is a track that truly aches with a melancholy sense of desolation. This feeling is carried throughout most of the album and for the secret isolationists among us will come as a real treat.

Essentially this is another example of just how deep modern minimalism can and should be and this CD will certainly be a highlight of the next few months listening.