Bankert — ol07

Bankert's ol07 is eleven relatively short, electronic tracks that run the gambit from somewhat danceable electronica to weirdly oscillating ambient pieces. With no obvious connection between each, it seems Bankert essentially just collected a bunch of tracks that he's been working on and allows each to exist on its own. Being one unfamiliar with the ol series, this could be well known but something I had missed. Regardless, the songs not connecting to each other helps to reinforce the randomized feel that each track has; improvisation is key to this series, and the music here shows this very well. Playing to what one feels allows the artist great flexibility and greater expression, but it comes at the cost of cohesion. However, it sticks closer to the artistic side of things, keeping sound paramount to ideas and ideals. This basis for the music allows Bankert to produce some interesting and quite different sounds, even if only for one song's runtime. With the shorter songs, many of these sounds don't quite get the amount of airtime they deserve and with the quickly changing, chaotic approach, they don't really get any context. I feel the context is important for not only the sounds themselves, but how they play off of other adjacent sounds and textures. Even if an album consists of unconnected tracks, missing that "something" in each song makes the album harder to get into. For most of ol07, tracks are named after the main vocal sample used, most notably "fuck fans," "bridging The gap," and "what happens now." With this being the main motif on the songs, it takes a bit away from the music behind it, giving somewhat trite 90's/00's techno/dance vibes. Unfortunately, the music behind it doesn't really do enough to lift these samples up, and everything comes out more like a fever dream.

 

Improvisation is a huge part of the electronic and experimental tradition, be it through blasting walls of noise, modular synth noodling, or djs playing off the vibe of the club. However, sometimes sound for the sake of sound can miss its mark, or given that there probably isn't a mark present, miss its target audience. While all art is appreciated and all artists are great for getting the sounds out of their head and into the ears of others, they do not always land as intended in their current state. Often, things just need to be cooked a little more to make sure the structure is intact. ol07 may not have worked with me, but this could very well be perfect electronic for someone else. For more info