Raoul Sinier - Huge Samurai Radish [Ad Noiseam - 2008]Raoul Sinier make old school imd/ retro touched electronica in the melodic mould of say Plaid or Boards of Canada with offten more hectic and manic break beat & drill ‘n’ bass rhythmic attack, with smatterings of guitars and hip hop like sampling here and there too. The title track feels like something from Plaids Double Figures giving a new flash paint job and shiny alloys as it twists and turn through it’s retro synth path with all manner of rhythmic piles–ups and attacks ensuing along the way. Bleach bath feels like an edgy 70’s detective show them reborn with hip-hop beats, slowed Daft punk vibe and the odd more hectic pile up of beat fodder. Really the first seven tracks are consistent, tuneful collection of quite filmatic beat bound work. The problems comes with comes with the last five tracks here which are all different mixes of the title track. Sure have one or two but five, the poor tracks just not up to it and it just plainly gets rather tiresome hearing really the same track again and again with little new offered up. Sure we have different vocalist and rappers stuck on, but at the end of the day it’s still the same tune. The only truly successful version here is Lynx and Ram remix, which melds in sensual to edgy female singing, on to an almost trip-hop meets idm meets searing guitar edge backdrop- hell this could be a great single. So an album thats effective and memorable shot of often hectic beat bound electrionica, that seems some how a little lopsided with so many versions of the same track finishing it off. Roger Batty
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