starfish pool: illusions of move - the golden cycle

stap-imgc.jpg (13k) starfish pool: illusions of move - the golden cycle
(Hymen - 2001)

koen lybaert's looping electronic experimentations are at the heart of starfish pool; he also introduces the sounds of four women into illusions of move - the golden cycle, incorporating soundrecordings from chantal yzermans (New York) and esther santoyo (Mexico City) as well as vocalizations from laura rebuttini and ivy smits.

Hovering waves of resonance, soft technoprimitive percussion and on-the-street samples sweep through wonder/metal slowed like a filmic dream-journey. hide and seek's starkly bopping notes are topped with dreamy strands of wordless female croons and underscored by odd electronic activities. The same glimmering rythmic pattern is diffused in steamy sinked.

Sparking drumhits override the seductively low-key lounge-style singing of pitch dark/say anymore now (2:31). Operatic tones occasionally seep from the densely boiling murk of arised. Speaking of murk, there's a lot of it sweltering around in passing by, from where steady almost-mechanical rhythms emerge (as does some young urban male conversation and synthsymphonics).

The wispy trails of that piece segue into break the sea below (8:25); nostalgically crooned vocals ride atop a vague, swishy backdrop with plucky beatronic accents. More-contemporary percussion spatters throughout mexican escape accompanied by quirky electronic pulsations and blits.

All said, the ten tracks of illusions of move - the golden cycle add up to almost-an-hour of subtle sonic experimentations. Dive into starfish pool for obtuse-yet-accessible 8.5 listening.

Released by Hymen and available from Soleilmoon Recordings.

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This review posted August 31, 2001

AmbiEntrance © 2001-1997 by David J Opdyke (except CD cover art, rights retained by original owners).