FingerPaint: In the Loop FingerPaint: In the Loop (FNGP Recordings - 1999) If Patrick Smith and Steev Geest of FingerPaint were working with (as their name implies) hand-applied pigments, the canvas of In the Loop would be a colorfully swirling miasma of many colors, textures and styles, seemingly haphazard constructions streaking in all directions, confusing to some, but compelling to others who tap into the eclectic formations. Echoey guitar blips emerge from a core of seductive synth shimmer; Becoming Visible opens the disc with an actively fluctuating free-form sound exploration, eventually mingling with, but not being overtrodden by, lively beats. Expect some aural psychedelica when entering the Occupation Zone; it sounds as if the music from an old cartoon were distorted then zapped with a heavy dose of sci-fi efects. Horn, tuba and organ are some of the recognizable elements which play the mirthful little tune. Enormous Expansion comes from a notably less-fun place; a denser, darker expanse of industrial-strength, multilayered drones is adorned with higher warbles and shifting currents. What's behind the door? In addition to the softly meandering electronics (keyboards, glimmers and wind effects) of Tunneling, footstep and door-opening samples lead the listener from the mysterious to the unknown. With the most aggressive mutations yet, Keep Your Eyes Peeled may do the same to your ears. Warped samples, keyboard noodling, high-speed bursts of e-percussion, wandering trumpet riffs and general electro-chaos collide in this not-exactly-ambient experimentation. Oscillating tones and spaced-out reverberations grow in intensity; Trapped (7:47) could easily pass as the soundtrack for some particularly arty cyberpunk thriller. Intriguing tension in the air turns to musical confusion when invaded by random, echoing piano bursts. A fuzzy little keyboard riff backs In the Loop (3:57), which is visited upon by metallic clinks and bathed in ethereal shadows and lights. Unfortunately short, though. FingerPaint again delivers (as with their previous release, Primary Colors: Blue) a batch of comparitively busy, though always interesting, ambient/electronic experiments. Not to be used as a simple personal mental floatation device, these tracks sometimes demand a bit more attention, though can certainly cast various unusual colors upon your listening space. You can learn more about In the Loop (rated 8.3 by the AmbiEntrance) at the FNGP Recordings website. This review posted June 25, 1999 AmbiEntrance © 1999-97 by David J Opdyke (except CD cover art, rights retained by original owners).