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 | Photek:Modus Operandi (Astralwerks - 1997) Many performers have piled onto the crowded Drum & Bass bandwagon; Photek, though, has grabbed the controls, deftly steering this vehicle down whichever dark, twisting alleyways he chooses. |
| Rupert Parkes is Photek and (after releasing various singles over the past 4 years) Modus Operandi is his feature debut. Everything about these tracks points to an obsessive genius. Though many pieces have an improvisational feel, Parkes is reported to spend hundreds of hours meticulously mixing each track. This explains their very "full" sonic nature; there's a lot going on here!
The Hidden Camera opens with misleadingly simple keyboard chords, then leaps right into its own dark, smoky atmosphere. The thrumming bass, sweeping synths, bell tones and hyperkinetic drum patterns swirl together, forming a mysterious mood that could perfectly score a 1960's private-eye flick. Smoke Rings gets more aggressive with its drumming. Many strange and wonderful sounds inhabit the depths. In its quieter moments, one realizes that if Parkes chose to do ambient, he'd handle it skillfully. Riding in on slurred electronics, Minotaur's main rhythmic feature sounds like echoey thumpings on metallic water-filled cans reverberating in a confined space... More traditional beats join in and eventually the piece reverts to the opening sounds, and becomes... Aleph 1. Utilizing the same background, this track throws on some pronouncedly bleepy synthwork and that warm, deep "stand-up" bass sound. The underlying percussion is busy, but not overbearing and silky strings waft in and out. The disc's long runner at 8:42, it's a favorite of mine. 124 reuses the ending of the previous track, the strings eventually being layered over by relatively subdued beats, cymbals, handclaps and beautifully smooth bass. This could easily be placed into a "new ambient" niche, and shine as such. Another quiet soundscape introduces Axiom, but the drums soon enough begin to pound it into something more active. Weird little ripples weave between the drumbeats. Staccato beats power Trans 7, as assorted synth elements swoosh and swell through the flak-filled air. The bass is warm and gooey; the electronics lush, and for whatever reason, we end with a slightly scratchy vinyl record sound. Jazz-like and urbane, Modus Operandi remains comparatively low-key, again seeming somehow rooted in the 60's (more of a cocktail/piano lounge atmosphere this time, though). A beautiful bit of work. KJZ. exerts special emphasis on the the Drum, with furious lashings of the cymbals and pattering snares. The bass element again is that luscious plucked acoustic sound. Behind the rhythmic din, the curtains of synthesizer are only slightly ruffled. A wonderful creative exercise in juxtaposition between the frenetic and the placid. The Fifth Column closes the disc with its rumblingly abrasive beat. This energetic track packs in many exotic sound and percussion effects, and seems to be mainly a showcase for them. Modus Operandi is released by Astralwerks, and you can see their own Photek website for more information. |
| At first, this all seemed a bit hyperactive for my ambient ears, but I've grown to fully appreciate Photek's carefully controlled chaos. Definitely Two-Thumb material. I recommended it highly! |  |
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