Larry Kucharz: Techno Unit 32: Misc. Tracks Larry Kucharz: Techno Unit 32: Misc. Tracks (International Audiochrome - 2001) Techno Unit 32: Misc. Tracks marks Larry Kucharz's second venture into beat-driven realms (The first was his Techno Unit 30, as Audiochrome) and again, he wholly reinvents his "usual" sound, infusing those styings with the thumping drumbeats of techno and other related genres. Warm chord progressions and twiddly synth "leads" are pummeled by U955, Techno's revved-up beatsystem and flailing cymbals. The quietly moody orchestrations of U969, Drum & Bass & Strings are layered with pretty convincing drum'n'bassisms. With a lighter touch, U962, Progressive Classical explores rhythmically pulsing tones and spattering metallic accents. Laced with stacatto tonebursts, aggressive U313, Techno precedes U310, Hardcore (3:37) where Larry's Fairlight tones are recognizable, though grunged up and beaten upon. Elastic thrumming abounds in U311, Progressive Classical and a sinuous bassline wends its way through U922, Dub, an intriguing, glassy approximation of that form. U333, Minimal Techno (14:27) seems to arrive at its "minimal" classification by muting and murking everything down a few notches. Techno Unit 32: Misc. Tracks further displays Larry Kucharz' electronic versatility; still, though... the pieces tend toward a peculiar antiseptic state of not "really" being what they seem to be, suffering from a "paper roses" (to borrow a term from a far away, long ago song) sort of deficiency . An 8.2 for perfectly listenable, but somehow soul-lacking, imitations of audiolife. Larry has a homepage at www.hypnos.com/kucharz.htm and can be e-mailed at intaudiocr@aol.com. This review posted September 29, 2001 AmbiEntrance © 2001-1997 by David J Opdyke (except CD cover art, rights retained by original owners).