
Arovane + Porya Hatami - Organism Evolution [Karl Records - 2018]Veteran German electronic musician/producer Arovane began in 2000, with his debut album "Atol Scrap", an emotive and solidly composed, if rather straightforward, entry into the subdued side of the IDM genre, defined by catchy, symmetrical melodies and downtempo energy levels coupled with glitchy, complex drum programming. He has come a long way since the music of his debut, and the 'thoughtful noise' found in this latest collaboration with Portya Hatami (with whom I am otherwise unfamiliar) is closer to musique concrete than IDM. The body of the music is gentle spirals of percolating glimmers, stuttering crystal shards, a shuddering swirl which is distinctly rhythmic, but achieves its rhythm through the thickly pulsating LFOs of its heavy FX processing, rather than actual percussive samples. Eerie metallic harmonics speak to barely contained maelstorms of feedback, tempered into strobing morse code cubes. This universe is thoroughly chopped, gated and pulverized.
The digitally obliterated, pitch processed sound recalls the work of Oval more than what I know of Arovane's discography, embracing a chaotic, fast-forward motion rhythmic sensibility, conventional rhythms drawn hyperactive and bent off kilter with analog delays. Ghostly resonances are highlighted and often only a shadow of the source sounds remain. It is highly avant garde and non-musical, yet tasteful in its pacing, and beautifully tuneful when it needs to be. This penchant for expressive melody and clean synth tones is the main commonality I hear with past Arovane works. Avant garde is best served with momentary excursions into the relatable.
The production is vividly clear and stimulating to the imagination with its masterful spacial image. The mix has so much breathing room, and sounds hidden in every crevice. Every breath of air and soft crackle is harmonically tuned to the 'mother dub chord'. The noisier sections, with their digital, bit-crunched flavor, could easily have become overbearing or fatiguing, but are instead filtered very graciously so as to be listenable. The crisp, inviting texture of this album is perhaps what most sets it apart from countless other albums which pair ambient noise and soft synth, as well as the intelligence of its progression and musical arc as a whole.
Blissful yet restless, this is avant garde music soaked with an otherworldly zen and nostalgia, philosophical without speaking in words, well suited for drug trips and far from stuffy or pleasureless. "Organism Evolution" is a soulful high flight, as meaningful as the best works of Biosphere or Oval, a style of ambient music infused with of the rhythmic intricacy of IDM and the textural depth of musique concrete.      Josh Landry
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