Articles
2008 Ten Favourite Labels
Ten Questions Celer
Ten Questions Deadbeat

Albums
Anzio Green
Ariel Abshire
Osman Arabi
Arastoo & AEMAE
Asymmetrical Head
Benoît Pioulard
Bohren & der Club of Gore
Matt Borghi
Celer
Cubenx
Anders Dahl
Davis & Roux
Deadbeat
Feu Follet
Formication
Generic
Stefan Goldmann
Gultskra Artikler / Lanterns
Hauschka
Hexes & Ohs
Koen Holtkamp
I Am Robot And Proud
Illusion of Safety
Integral
Koen Park
Akira Kosemura
Koushik
Library Tapes
Lineland
Mamiffer
Melodium
Moon
Oppressed By The Line
Pillars and Tongues
Rumpistol
Kamran Sadeghi
Sans Serif
Signal Deluxe
Skogen
Saul Stokes
Matthew Sweet
Tapage
Thursday / Envy
Windy & Carl

Compilations / Mixes
An Taobh Tuathail II
Chaos Restored 2
DFPRMX
Kuniyuki
Message Subatomic World
Pero es olor en el cuarto...

EPs
Canyons!
Budhaditya Chattopadhyay
Cubenx
Dokuro
Fraction
Lee Holman
Ikonika
King Midas Sound
Michael Lambright
Library Tapes
Lilienweiss
MRK1
:papercutz
Spencer Parker
Poratz
Spartak + John Chantler
Andy Vaz

Kamran Sadeghi: Through Thickness
Dragon's Eye

An inaugural chapter in Kamran Sadeghi's proposed Kha series (“Kha,” a Sanskrit word meaning “emptiness” or “zero,” was used in early numerical systems to imply space in tabular arrangements), Through Thickness deploys synthetic means as a vehicle for exploring rhythm. A single listen reveals that the Seattle-based sound artist's electronics-based, hour-long excursion into cyberkinetic beatsmithing should appeal to Raster-Noton, Pan Sonic, and Ryoiji Ikeda devotees in particular.

Following “Day Break,” which opens the album with a veritable seizure of dizzying cartwheels and somersaults, “Planar Graph” steals a page from Frank Bretschneider and Alva Noto's playbook by deploying hypnotic rhythms and razor-sharp electronic interjections in the familiar Raster-Noton style. Sadeghi's whirrs, wipes, scratches, and machine beat patterns borrow heavily from the label, as does the convulsive “Teeth” that follows. One thing, however, that distinguishes Sadeghi's approach is the large amount of reverb with which he coats his sounds, a dimension downplayed by the clinical austerity of the Raster-Noton aesthetic. Otherwise, however, “Teeth” is largely textbook Alva Noto, if a slightly more raucous version of it, with the focus a rapid intertwine of throbbing bass and treble patterns. Sadeghi's smartly changes direction on “Through,” whose cyclone of writhing ripples churns for a relentless seven minutes, before investing “Haptic” with a pile-driving punch that cranks the Alva Noto style up a notch or two. “Shelter” also distances itself from the Raster-Noton style by pushing a thrusting gallop through an electrical cloud, while “The Harvest” thrusts and jabs over an elastic throb before “Thickness” hammers the album shut with a brief psychedelic drone.

November 2008