Antti Rannisto - Ääniesineitä - 12k - CD

Antti Rannisto is a relative newcomer to the scene but, for me, made such an impact with his superb 'Rotate' EP for Audio.nl that it was with a great deal of anticipation that I awaited the arrival of this new release from 12k.

As a stalwart label of the digital minimalsm scene, 12k has released some classic and pioneering music from the likes of label owner Taylor Deupree, Kenneth Kirschner, Goem, Shuttle358, Frank Bretschneider and many others. As such it's splendid to see them, once again, going out on a limb to release music from someone on the outer edges of this potent style of music and, certainly, making a departure from their previous work.

Antti's music is cold, icy, intense and so essentially Scandinavian that it's hard not to reference a certain iconic label... Pansonic, Ø, Philus... Do you get where I'm going with this? Sähkö. That's where.

This is the logical successor to the output of that staggeringly innovative imprint and barr the occasional release from Mika Vainio as 'Ø', this is realistically the only thing that's sounded as real or authentic for a long, long time.

From the very beginning this CD says one thing: Depth... and lots of it.

If you're after dense tones and mind-filling noises, this is for you. If you love absolutely strict minimalism, this is for you. If you love dark and intense mind music, this is for you.

He uses harsh, synthesized sounds to create an increasingly tense atmosphere of isolation and industry that melds effortlessly with crisp, yet subtle, 4/4 beats which act as sonic punctuation.

Resonance is another key with dissonant sounds and notes colliding together to create the kind of frequencies that stay with you long after you've finished listening. It's not so much haunting... more frightening how powerful this sound is and the way he uses the simplest of elements to get into your head is devastating.

Deep sine waves, sawtooth loops and out-of-time progressions that sit uneasily over the rigid structure that underpins everything giving it an unbalanced yet perfectly, sublimely out-of sync feel.

There's a real flow, though, and it's essential in drawing the listener in as it can be a lonely and somewhat disconcerting experience listening to this music - you don't neccesarily want it on as dinner music with friends, for example. Short tonal pieces are followed by lengthy and hypnotic tracks that, in a mutant and freaked out otherworld, could be dancefloor music.

A kickdrum... a sound... a manipulation... Antti proves that's all you need to move people, and he does so with an incredible amount of style.

This certainly isn't going to appeal to everyone, but I urge any listeners to go into it with an open mind... you may well be surprised just what you find there.