Rome-based producer Pearl River Sounds (Roberto Semeraro) offers an aggressive effort with Kiss My Smiling Face, an EP that finds the artist aiming for a futuristic sound fuelled by playful experimentations between electronic tools and live percussion.
As suggested immediately by the 303 bass line-propelled "Acido Arabo," which features layers of looped melodies, Kiss My Smiling Face is a study of the art of repetition. The track's mid-way break is abrupt, throwing in a changeup in repetitions before reintroducing the original ones, but the vocal interlude near the end of the track feels unnecessary and derails the mood "Acido Arabo" had established.
"Oberhacid" carries on in the same manner, continuing to focus on a minimalistic sound, but despite the higher tempo, there's a persistent feeling that the song is less purposely stark than it is seemingly unfinished. "Lord of A-A-Acid" and "Juunglenaation" help to solidify the album as a sensory experiment, but beneath that surface, it's hard to feel any emotions here. As a live dance record and a means to turn a crowd up, Kiss My Smiling Face works, but as a stand-alone album listening experience, there's not quite enough to explore here.
(X-Kalay)As suggested immediately by the 303 bass line-propelled "Acido Arabo," which features layers of looped melodies, Kiss My Smiling Face is a study of the art of repetition. The track's mid-way break is abrupt, throwing in a changeup in repetitions before reintroducing the original ones, but the vocal interlude near the end of the track feels unnecessary and derails the mood "Acido Arabo" had established.
"Oberhacid" carries on in the same manner, continuing to focus on a minimalistic sound, but despite the higher tempo, there's a persistent feeling that the song is less purposely stark than it is seemingly unfinished. "Lord of A-A-Acid" and "Juunglenaation" help to solidify the album as a sensory experiment, but beneath that surface, it's hard to feel any emotions here. As a live dance record and a means to turn a crowd up, Kiss My Smiling Face works, but as a stand-alone album listening experience, there's not quite enough to explore here.