While on the face of it Moi_6’s EP may not appear to my sort of thing, unless that is you’ve been keeping up with some of my reviews recently where I say my musical taste seems to be evolving, whereas it is very much my sort of thing. Actually I have what we may might call a liking for this sort of thing from way way when, so I’m not that surprised that I like this.
And this sort of thing is kinda out there experimental techno based. It’s all synthy acid people, it’s also somewhat discerning in places. But I like music to be discerning and do things you just don’t expect, and take listening properly to really appreciate it. One of my helpful friends, who is around the same age as me, described it as sounding like these tech based BBC TV programme themes back in the 80s but with better drum programming. Whether you find that helpful, I guess, depends on whether you remember BBC tech based programmes back in the 80s. He also said that it sounded a little like Kraftwerk in places, and then again like some early Human League tracks, and then again the stuff he ‘lost his shit’ to at raves. This may be more helpful.
The track names are slightly, let’s say, enigmatic – for example one track is called ‘ Mod1(bhdsp Parammodtest)’ and I have not the slightest idea what that means. But ultimately the names of the tracks don’t seem that important, and their mysterious nature just let me concentrate on the sounds. And, in the main, those sounds are – over a lush synth backing we get odd, sometimes startling, synth noises and really clever drum patterns. The surprise is that while the basic structure is that, the variety in the five tracks that make up this EP is compelling.
The EP opener – TX81Z(3) – is rather faster than the other tracks, it has something of a retro electronica sound to it. But, and this key, it doesn’t do the same thing through the whole track, it has these lulls, you can’t really call them dropouts, where you just get a synths and no drum pattern. It’s hypnotic, it pulls you in.
Next up is ‘R.1’ and this is slower and majestic and lusher. Over which a rattling drum pattern appears. That drum pattern disappears, spacier synths come into. Listening to this really loud and on repeat I started to get this pressure building in my head, it seems like it’s about to take off into something huger but doesn’t. ‘S&H.4’ has a more acid feel to it. It’s all strange stabbing sounds over that lush synth backing. The previously mentioned ‘Mod1(bhdsp Parammodtest)’ is the one my helpful friend was referring to when he said it reminded him of, a little you understand. of early Human League. I agree to a certain extent but not completely for over a rather scary synth sounding backing, you get these bleeping synths.
The EP closer ‘Acid:b’ has that rather more acid feel to it again. But it’s all off kilter and warped.
The issue is that with things like this, and I again have my helpful friend to thank for this thought, it’s easy just to sit and be impressed by the technical skill that is so obviously there in this EP, rather than by the music, and the feel, the moods it evokes. The feel in this case, although it has drum and bass patterns, is rather more ambient than you might imagine. You need to get past the ‘well this guy clearly knows his way round a sequencer and a drum machine’ and just think of this as music, and although you could dance to this, to think of it as music that you can actually sit and listen to as well. If you’re not attuned to this type of music that may take repeated listens. Having done that it’s compelling and rewarding.
I’d also recommend checking out the other album on moi_6’s Bandcamp site, it has a slightly different feel but is equally as impressive.
The info
Evolving acid bass and meticulously programmed drums are two main features of Leeds based Acid Techno producer, ‘moi_6’, but beneath that is a hidden layer of beauty, pushing what technology both old and new can do to create some of the weirdest music heard to date.
https://www.facebook.com/moi6official/
https://moi6.bandcamp.com
The info
