The Hub — Boundary Layer

The Hub are one the first laptop ensembles with works dating back to 1986, this fascinating, consistent and varied three disk set brings together some of their first works right up to works from 2006. Along with a highly readable and informative 24 page booklet, live videos and more in-depth history on one of this disks, this really is a perfect emersion in their rich, strange, sometimes discordant, sometimes beautiful sonic world.

Strangely even the older works here don’t show their age much at all which in itself is a rarity in electronic music. They seem to be using sounds, systems and self made electronic instruments that create original, distinctive and ageless sounds, with all the works here sitting somewhere between composed and improvised. Though the collective features six members in all & the sound sometimes crowed and hectic it’s always rewarding and focused. The Hub features the following contributors: John Bischof, Chris Brown, Tim Perkis, Mark Trayle, Scot Gresham-Lancaste and Phil Stone, who each as well as using laptops use their own handmade electronic instrument - not every player plays on each track, it’s sort half the tracks are The Hub as a whole and the others spilt down into threes and four members. And as is usual the way with improvised music diffent rules or compositional traits are used for each piece, but thankful this all remains vibrate & playful through-out, the tracks never becoming too scholarly or highbrow and unlistenable for their own good. The Hub want to take you on a textural and sonic adventure of the highest order and pretty much manage this on each and every track in the sets three hour playing time.

The Hub create a vast selection of sounds and tones even with-in tracks, though they sometimes slightly wonder off the theme and structure for sonic mini adventures, it never becomes just a series of random beeps, pips or electro noise- it’s always(often just) held together. There’s more often then not a harmonic pattern of throbbing electronics or digital atmospheric drones weaved in and out of the vibrate and very alive sonic circuit board jungle of the tracks. With the tracks moving from: drilling almost noise throbs and serrated siren sounds moving and roaring like vast electronic dinosaurs, surrounded by smaller electro sounds like cyborg gannets feeding off their left overs. To eerier and a little creepy electro xylophone teeming, running or sinister surrounds. Or dense and epic electro rhythmic movements and sways, etc. There really is a huge selection of pace, sonic texture and atmosphere on offer here- that’s sure to keep any experimental fan happy and invigorated for hours.

Certainly one of the highlights of Tzadik catalogue in recent years and one of the highlight's of the first half of 2008 —both sonically and package wise, which is also very reasonable priced too— what more could you ask for?