Arovane and Hatami — Organism

When it comes to IDM, Arovane has been one of the artists to take notice off from his beginning in the late 1990s. Albums like “Atol Scrap”, “Tides” and “Lilies” gained the Berlin based electronic musician a great reputation for his subtle blend of warm melodies and refined beat programming, a distinct sound that is highly accessible and experimental at the same time. After touring the world excessively Arovane decided to go on a nine year long hibernation from where he reappeared in 2013 – since then, he has been more productive than ever and already released a dozen solo and collaborative albums.

“Organism” is his fourth work with Porya Hatami who is one of the main protagonists of the vivid Iranian electronic underground. Since his debut “Land” in 2012, Hatami has been releasing several albums and introduced himself as a skilled experimental sound artist exploring the balance between electronics and environmental sounds, utilizing processed acoustic and electronic sources as well as field recordings.

Deep bass, static and ambience, revolving in on itself to generate “Lifecycle”, the opening piece that opens Organism. This is quickly followed b y the first of six interlude pieces (all called “Rhizome”, by the way) before you get track three, “Corm” a quite hollow piece, that has the sounds (from xylophone to snatches of chattering) skirting around the edges of the rumble and static. This almost retro electronica, innocent and playful, akin to a 70’s sci-fi soundtrack.

“SpeCreature” is a subtle pink noise based sand-shifting piece that glitches it’s way through its four and halfminutes. The beauty is the kaleidoscope of colours that drift across the delicate hiss. “Tuber” is literally like listening to roots push downwards into the earth, it’s a master-stroke of the experimental and ambient. With “Reproduction” the joy and feeling are paramount, there is new life in the spatial high pitched drone that wends it’s way through the hiss and static that surround it.

Both Arovane and Hatami have the ability to make the most perfect electronica, this latest collaboration shows the full depth of the pairs connection: they each bring their own style to this album, neither one taking command, and yet together the music generated is exponential. It’s 2017, and I’ve just rediscovered my love for IDM.