A self-entitled compilation from the collective Avatar 41° it’s a CD featuring 10 songs and as many artists. Avatar 41° is using some of their own words: “Avatar is a transverse multi-expressive network formed by artists and professionals linked to music realm, communication and visual arts. Absolutely by chance, Avatar has incarnated itself in Naples, around the 41st parallel.” Defrag Sound Processing deliver “Oz” a minimal track based on the elements of dub, electronic dub at its finest. Animae’s “Omnia Morba” uses generic four-by-four and a generic vocal sample. The one thing original about this song is the processed and distortion-filled elements floating around. Micro-house made using the blueprint. Marco Messina’s “Ermitage” is reminiscent of the work of “Tennis” who have released on Bip Hop. It’s a decidedly dub-infused track with a great build-up, massive bassline for the patient and well-crafted rhythmic elements. It’s a minimal and quite enchanting track. Retina.it offers “O’cip” and you get glitch with a quirky reversed bassline giving it an overall bubbly feeling, still in the realm of Micro-house, however of the glitchier persuasion. Desincro are responsible for the fifth instalment entitled “Moda” it’s bass filled minimalism and develops into some kind of acid inspired track. How nice to see someone making a slightly experimental track based on bass instead of just treble for a change. Onto Frame’s “Nekih Problema” soundtrack soundscapes fused with vocals (can’t say what language, but I would guess the origin is from somewhere in Eastern Europe), nice layering and a lonely piano’s chords. The track breaks down and you’re left with an eerie sound and lots, and lots of space. In “Quaed Void” Abstract Toolkit relies on technical trickery to create a dark atmosphere with no beats what so ever. Terra continues on the dark path started by Abstract Toolkit in his “Raga” adding pulsating and menacing bassline fused with minimal percussive elements morphing into the outro’s synthesised washes. Mass delivers “Tube” a minimal ambient track filled with glitch and a hesitant throbbing bassline. The excellent soundscapes create a truly haunting atmosphere. Finishing the compilation is some decidedly ambient excursions, using the now classic voiceover samples, not entirely ineffective, noticeable is the part of the vocals that seems reversed a secret message from the 41st parallel perhaps? This compilation is clearly divided into two or possible three musical orientations and I suppose it reflects the various contributing artists own musical preferences. However, they all have one thing in common and that’s that fragile sounding and highly mixed treble sensation. At times maybe a bit to highly mixed, but regardless, by the looks of things it’s simply a Avatar 41° trademark.
electronic desert ≡ revisited + extended