[LISTEN TO & BUY THIS RELEASE IN THE JUNODOWNLOAD PLAYER BELOW]
Over the past few years we’ve seen the tech sound evolve in a diverse and exciting fashion, and indeed with the plethora of styles out there in the house and techno scene, it’s no easy task to cultivate a sound that can truly stand out these days. Yet on Chamber Music, the debut album of Oliver Ho’s Raudive moniker, there’s a distinct and sophisticated soundscape that really caught our attention.
The 9-track LP begins with Is It Dark In Here, a track that captures the dark, minimalist and fluid feel of the productions released on Ho’s very own Wires imprint earlier this year. Slow, sparse percussions are coupled with ethereal female vocal layers to create a bleak, atmospheric and cinematic vibe, which is well sustained on Cone thanks to the sombre saxophone and moody piano notes.
Paper then picks up the pace with its snappy claps, undulating bass and twinkling synth stabs alongside the edgy glitches of the strings, before the beatless Over soothes us with warm, lush ambience and transfers us to Khaki, another tech affair whose rapid syncopated beats, hypnotic bells and loopy synth tones sink the mood further down to a deeper level whilst injecting a fair amount of dark drive into the progression at the same time.
The next track Brittle is the most club-oriented track on the album, and indeed its driving groove owes much to the melodious synth riffs and loopy chopped up vocals flowing atop the solid kick. Despite the minimalist setting it’s very upbeat and dynamic, and should work very well on the dancefloor.
X-Rays then heads back to the experimental territory, with the meaty bassline supporting the encounter between Zizi Kanaan’s moody vocal snippets and the distorted guitar noises; after that Tul renders a slow-burning ride harnessed by the organic saxophone and unhurried housey beat, paving the way for the finale Sienna - a pensive, cinematic and percussion-free track that brings the album to a close with a plentitude of depth and darkness.
Overall Chamber Music is a sleek, edgy and intelligent album, and the forward-thinking soundscape crafted by Ho has brilliantly illustrated his unique vision of the tech sound (and other sonic elements as well of course). Definitely a piece that is worth listening to over and over again, it can well be one of the best home-listening dance albums of 2010 indeed.