Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks is a debut album on the ever so consistent Expanding label. Moving further and further into the middle-earth of acoustic based music that seems to be the dominating form of the elusive non-category electronica these days. It is mature and precise music, virtually beatless, but showing no shortage of warmth. Origamibiro who is Tom Hill has produced a thoroughly beautiful album that is both pensive and melancholic. In some sense Expanding’s sound is converging toward the sound of Resonant and Static Caravan, but the dramatic setting of the first is not that of Expanding and the label continues to preserve their unique outlook on contemporary electronica. A final note on the album’s artwork because most likely is this year’s best album cover. Pure genius in all its simplicity the minimal graphic concept is reminiscent of the excellent cover for Flotel’s innovative Wooden Beard album released some years ago. But hey, it’s Expanding so anything less would surely have been hugely disappointing. Origamibiro and Expanding line-up the 27th release and do so with grace.
electronic desert ≡ revisited + extended