Showing posts with label Solid State Entity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solid State Entity. Show all posts

SOLID STATE ENTITY “Chorea” C40 (Property Materials)


The thing about that snake skeleton is that it suggests movement. Not that particular snake, mind you – again, it’s a skeleton, so movement is probably the last thing on its mind (and it doesn’t even HAVE a mind). But snakes are really all about motion, and all those bones just make me wonder what kind of muscles and nerves and stuff they attached to. Really kind of fascinating. Unbelievable twitch responses in snakes.

“Chorea” is all about movement too – the name suggests involuntary movement, as it is in fact a “nervous system disorder involving repetitive movements or unwanted sounds.” Well, if you’re going to be making low-key techno music or laid-back electronica, then “repetitive movements” are all part of the deal. The unwanted sounds thing – not so much. You’re looking for the opposite of that.

Solid State Entity delivers on the “wanted sounds” – the whole vibe of “Chorea” is murky and tense, like you’re not sure if anything’s going to explode out of it while you’re in the middle of listening to it. It wriggles and writhes like you expect a snake to, anticipating a strike that never comes. Still, it lulls you into a sense of safety – and sure, you’re gonna be fine listening to this – the tics and jolts serving as points of delicious interest. “Chorea” slithers through the night, pulsing and jiving, moving in constant rhythm till the tape flips, then it keeps going.




--Ryan

SOLID STATE ENTITY /
TRUCK STANLEY'S NIGHT DREAMS
split tape (Extended Release Plastics)


This is a split tape between pat from LSDV (Solid State Entity) and mark from Bang!Bros and Hunnie Bunnies (Truck Stanley's Night Dreams).

This release is a loose but focused sonic face-melting noise/rave masterpiece. It sounds like late night access television becoming possessed by yoga ghosts - psychedelic techno with an endless sample and tone palette to weird out even the loosest of peaceniks.

While accomplishing this it never feels too heavy handed or pretentious. This "mix" could easily double in with a 50 cent track. Think Aaron Dilloway doing his Mouse on Mars tribute. The ominous organ groans still sit next to an echoed snare drum beat leaving the smallest hint of rhythm even threw the muckiest of eerie nightmare drones. To put it another way, it's never not confident and it always stays accessible in execution and clarity if not in content.

The music is unpredictable, its tempo can slowly meander at times but its Aphex Twin speed at others. Sometimes the ideas transform at the speed of rotting bananas and other times spit out like a vomiting machine gun. Circuit bending, tape loops all messed up, maybe max/msp?, effects, all sorts of crazy stuff, is somewhere in all this, and the musician isn't afraid to be pleasant, spooky, experimental or dance. He's always vibrant.

Reverberated vocals make me think of Arthur Russell for a second, but they are fleeting and minimal. Lyrics over such a loose compositional noise structure is difficult, but the fact that some edited vocals exist on this tape at all shows how much is happening.

There isn't much information on this cassette as I said earlier. Just an e-mail (smokeybearcave@gmail.com) and a reference to a record label.

-- Jack Turnbull