Boys Noize aka Berlin DJ Alex Ridha and Grammy-winning pianist & composer Chilly Gonzales have teamed up to create OCTAVE MINDS – a collaborative project and an album.
As you are probably aware – an Octave in musical terms – is the interval between one musical pitch and another. Thus – a musical scale is 8 notes -with the first and last note being one Octave ‘apart’.
The human ear loves the simple truth of symmetrical patterns. We find that the notes of an octave “ring” together – and this adds to our overall pleasure.
So, Octave Minds starts with ‘Symmetry Slice’.
Here, a persistent ivory note is caught in a special spatial relationship within a breezy spheroidal shape.
A low dark and chewy bass thickly oozes out.
And a few notes of involuntary organ sneeze through the network of sounds. The entire presentation on this track is attractive and impressionistic.
Then we move slowly to ‘Anthem’ – this has a brassy feel.
But it is also milky – with a low surface brightness – which makes it perfect for background material.
‘Tap Dance feat. Chance The Rapper‘ [Chancelor Bennett] is also wonderful.
Tap dancing is all about rhythm. All about beatcount and precise heel and toe mathematics.
This track is a celebration of all that arithmatic fun!
This has a whiff of clockwork eccentricity about it – as if the dancing was performed by a laughing automaton – he has marble heels and cuckoo clock machinery (where his heart should be.)
‘Royalty’ is ratchetty and irascible. Full of curmudgeonly fits and starts.
But when the bass drops in – it kicks you in the glutes – jerking you into action – like an electric stock prod.
‘Together’ is opalescent – fluorescing and glimmering gently – like a splendid multi-coloured lizard-skin of scaly textures. This will be a favourite club number – it’s a real delight.
‘Done Deal’ gurgles like a dying drain. But there are also wonderful eye-lashes of sounds here.
These will tickle the skin. Although a disturbing presence threatens to upset the balance … by ‘calling in’ to make some threatening inquiries.
This is the most statuesque piece on the album – full of black drama and striding elevation. The organic guitar – looming out of a darkening crack – is amazing. This is our favourite track.
For lovers of extremely powerful new-age electronic ambience. Find this.
And it’s all you’ll need. This summer long. And the next.
@neilmach © 2014
Link: http://www.octaveminds.com/
OCTAVE MINDS – A Collaborative Album By Boys Noize & Chilly Gonzales is AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2014
RAW RAMP 