Ard Bit — Juxtaposed
Ard Bit is the project of Norwegian Ard Janssen. The new album is called Juxtaposed, forty two minutes of intentional electronic soundscape, with muted pastel colors, nine tracks ranging from two to seven minutes.
Similar to Biosphere, it's ambient, downtempo in bite-sized pieces, with nostalgic melodies, warm tones, lush pads, and clouds. Largely synth, but filled out with field recordings that crackle and sputter as air hits the microphone. Minor key atmospheres befitting dub techno are presented without drums, expansive reverberation extending out to the horizon. These are analog sound sources with the precision stereofield and clear mix that comes with digital arrangement.
Sometimes it's just textured, tonally imbued air, and sometimes there's a clearer melody, sometimes played on a piano, in the case of closer "Fanal Magic". There are nods to traditional arpeggio-based synthesiser ambient on tracks like "Always Now", and a general sense of tunefulness. Fans of Boards of Canada should enjoy the gently saturated tape fidelity. In a track like "Silver Torch", tiny clicks and pops become implied drums. It is kind of deconstructed dance music in a similar fashion to Vladislav Delay.
All in all, it's very inviting and expertly produced. The texture of the recording is like a massage. Each sound is perfectly treated. It tends to make one comfortable as the minutes pass. What more could you want? An album that should please both the soundscape connoisseur and the casual fan of chillout electronic.