Alva Noto — Unitxt
Things start off in fine jerking & clinical form with U_07 which begins with what sounds like a stuck cd sound, which Nicolai swifly builds into chopping rhythmic pattern with smaller piercing & electro shorting tones. Then a multi-lingual dialogue is droped in which seems to be the reading out a invoice sent to Casten- it’s a bizarre idea but it really works as Casten builds up the layers of chopping tone, cut static, clinical and surgical electro tone cut with precision. Building up quite an impressive mix of dense cut-up clinical sound textures with harmonic yet cold hints here & there. Track six U_08 cut's up a dramatic bassy synth melodic and throws it in with tight and precise ear slice electro chops, boiling and cut feed back risers; all to boil up a great tense future neo-burnt atmosphere. Though out the front half the album Casten keeps the vibe slick, edgy & at times near boiling but it always controlled and precise.
The second half of the album from track 12 onwards is basically Casten converting pure data files into sound form; with most of the tracks been well under a minute or even a few seconds long. This really work's as one caustic flow of mixed electro piercing tone drills. With Casten converting word, powerpoint, excel and other files to there sound maps. It’s coursing, piercing yet oddly accelerating ride and end to the record.
Unitxt is another very satisfying & brain stimulating slice of Raster-noton’s clinical brand of electroinca. Taking the labels and Casten’s distinctive sonic building blocks to build new creative and sometimes noisy audio heights.