Band : Vowels
Album title : The Pattern Prism
Label : !K7
Distributor : V2
Release date : 07/09/2009
Release : CD

Unghh…I’m a sucker for Ambient-like soundscapes, even more so when they mix up with electronics and Noise situations! Unbelievable what different instrumentation young London-based producer James Rutledge (known from earlier releases under the Pedro monicker and from an album under his own name…stuff issued on a variety of labels – some of which now out of print but recently made available through download from iTunes and such…and as a remix artist, having worked with a variety of people including Radiohead, The Pastels, Grizzly Bear, My Bloody Valentine, Bloc Party, MGMT, and more) has put into this new work…I’ve heard electric guitar (or is it electrically enhanced cello?), several types of analog keyboards (moog, at least) and synths (oscillators among ‘em) put through an occasional loop, saxophone, ehhrr…I dunno what else!

Coupled to the occasionally synthetic sounding percussion of skinbasher Chris Walmsey (he even provides the gamelan percussion somewhere on the album – I keep forgetting to check out during which track that happens, as I’m usually listenining quite ecstaically to the album as a whole). For the most part that gives tracks (there’s no lyrics) with a certain song structure, but on the other hand you shouldn’t expect any recognizable patterns either…because there’s also a couple of pure experimental tracks and passages! At one moment rather clear and Ambient-like, at another somewhat chaotic and noisy. In essence, this is very much like the electronic meanderings of the early Krautrock scene. Days when Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Klaus Schulze were the heroes in the alternative music scene!

In other words, exactly the kind of music the doctor recommends in case of weariness or need to expand one’s mind, and exactly the kind of stuff you might expect me to put in my personal year-lists! Check out some tracks (4 out of the 8 on the album) at myspace.com/vowelsvowelsvowels (do not mistake with the Hardcore band from New Jersey). According to what’s posted there, Walmsey and Rutledge might well bring this music live soon…even if they still have no gigs posted since they announced being a band in late June!

98/100

Tony.