~scape
For this jaded, disgruntled music critic, there is little more gratingthan a concept release that defines its intended strategy, executes iteffectively, and ultimately comes out sounding like a complete waste oftime and energy. With the aptly titled Nocturnes, False Dawns & Breakdowns,his second album for ~scape, Berlin-based Andrew Peklar quietly combatsthat all-too-common quandary with an ear-pleasing fusion of postmidnight jazz and electronic atmospheres. Drawing considerableinspiration from legends such as Miles Davis and Sun Ra, Peklarcomposes somber, mysterious noirish landscapes that both complement thethematic darkness and pay homage to his musical predecessors. The briefopening track "Here Comes The Night," a swaggeringly slow dirge, setsthe stage for the bulk of the consistently grim and pensive materialthat follows. From there, "Arches" leads with keyboard melodies anddrumming of increasing intensity, peaking with a near cacophony thatstill somehow maintains a sense of confident control. "Wait" introducessoft yet meaningful horn playing, treated with a delay that meshes wellwith the glitchy pastiche of percussive and airy elements. The quirkyand distinctly loop-based "Stardusting" specifically reminds of JanJelinek's work for the label with its sampler intermittently stutteringone specific section amidst the comparatively subtler cut-ups. "InCircles" toys with twinkling xylophone tones before fading into"Nocturne 3", where ambient noise bleeds through the deep bass anddisplaced voices, held together by a certain trip-hop sensibility."False Dawns" finds itself stuck between the preceeding tracks and adigital dub asthetic more characteristic of the ~scape roster, veeringat times into a soundtrack of the climax of some paranoiac sciencefiction film. Much like with labelmate Jan Jelinek's forward thinking Loop Finding Jazz Records,careful headphone-aided analysis of these tracks reveals approximateloop points and edit markers, though for true appreciation it should belistened to without quasi-scientific consideration of its technicalmake-up. While woefully concise at under 40 minutes, Nocturnes, False Dawns & Breakdownsacts as a brief window into a private world only found in the earlyhours, and only accessible to those willing to stay awake for it.
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