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plaid, "double figure"
Rather than taking the fresh step forward from the hip hop and cosmically influenced varieties of 1999's 'Rest Proof Clockwork,' Plaid have returned to a style much closer to 1997's '333' release. While they're making no leaps and bounds for electronic music as a whole, they succeed in making pleasant, peaceful and easily digestible melodies, using the equipment and styles of 1993-era Orbital, Autechre and Aphex with hints of The Shamen and 808 State circa 1991.
Warp
'Double Figure' opens with a pretty guitar melody, and while it's a warm welcome to the glitch and cut and paste plaguing the current world, it's all too easily primed for advertisement consumption. Further tracks utilize mid-80s fairlight synth sounds and rigid 4/4 techno beats with loads of electronic rhythmic accents comfortably laid over long delayed stretches of spacey keyboards. Comfortable is a good word to describe this whole disc, as it's something I wouldn't offend my mom with. Ignoring software chauvenism, breakbeats or spaghetti structures, Plaid have chosen to take an approach more man than machine. The duo aren't technologists, they're songwriters, with songs like "Sincetta" standing far above its dull surroundings as a luscious cinematic theme. Something like this clues me in that Plaid still have the potential to realize something great. Unfortunately, I'm finding the filler is just a little too thick to wade through to make 'Double Figure' truly excellent. Instead of 70-minute 19-track albums, bands seriously need to consider weeding out the noodly crap and concentrate on a good 8-10 songs that'll make a lasting impression.
 
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