Andrew Duke

Delicate soundscapes are tough to do properly, since any mistake is immediately apparent. Therefore, Haligonian Andrew Duke’s done a very good job with these subtle but interesting tracks. This is machine music with soft edges: static, vibrations, stutters and other odd noises all make their appearance. Most of the tracks are slow or beat-less. Nothing rushed or frenzied happens here. The tracks have a natural flow with variations in beats and ambient interludes. Overall, the album holds together well. Particularly good tracks are the slow beats, vibrations and stutters of "Shuffle,” the bird-like sounds and soft percussion of "2fwd1bwd,” the repetitive blips and ever-increasing speed of "Jia” and the swooping, processed noises and bass of "Britlur.” Anybody into slow, experimental beats and fuzzy noises should check this out.