BUILD — Orientating Points

My hunch is that the plural in “points” offers some indication that the 11 tracks that comprise this work are not meant to be conclusions or summaries of the given mixture. Instead, they are the starting point(s) for whatever follows in their wake. As a whole, the album feels like a study in multiple personality disorder, in large part due to the nature of the transitions that occur between said personalities, which are more abrupt than smooth. For example, the first three tracks are warm, glitchy ambience, devoid of any semblance of syncopation, reminiscent of moments of early Markus Popp (more on the 90s below). Then, out of the blue, “Run” comes on like the accompaniment to a radio broadcast or commercial campaign, and then settles quickly into more programmed beats. It’s hard not to take all of this at face value, whether that is intended or not. I think the points that are doing the orienting are all of a similar era, or epoch, depending on your level of competence. In other words, Orienting Points could be thought of as a kind of mixtape or playlist, with one important difference: it is not one geared toward showcasing the breadth of a particular style or genre. Rather, it is a compilation that showcases style as such.

 

This approach puts listeners on the stage with Build, highlighting the degree to which they might, or might not, be familiar with the tributaries flowing beneath what is on offer. IDM is probably the widest and most sensible point of departure, but Build does not merely ape his sources. Much of Orienting Points is a study in omission. In other words, what is left when some essential part of the equation is removed? On “Train” we get all of the usual sonic material we are used to with Drum & Bass, but there is no bass to speak of, no powerful subharmonic content to deepen the cuts and breakbeats. It’s just the drums and the ephemera that goes along with it – little synth melodies, an abstracted cymbal or bell – you get the drift. When “Sotto”, Orienting Points’ final track, starts to bloom, the delimited boundaries of Build’s universe come into focus, with a female voice uttering what sounds like “Vermentino”. Maybe I just wanted a glass (it’s one of my favs), but the Italian of the track’s title, along with Build’s (aka Damon Zucconi) ostensible Italo-roots, could be a sign that this sotto (Italian for “under”), is twofold: physically submerged as well as under the influence of. I digress.

 

Orienting Points will appeal to those both initiated and uninitiated with those furtive years of the mid-90s, when intelligence and brainy experimentation were actually values within the broader field of electronic music. It’s not nostalgia, though. Build is working through his past, like any good adult should. Drop by here to hear more