Shuttle358 - Frame [12K - 2007]It’s easy to hear why 12K decided to reissue this 2000 disk from the first few moments, it’s the wonderful smooth and focused way it mixes gentle micro beats and a rich and rewarding ambient life blood. Dan Abrams (aka shuttle358) keeps ones attention though out in such a effortless and natural manner, making enjoyable and charming electroncia, making his machine weep pure melodic beauty. Nothing is ever awkward or out a place, no beat ever appears at a wrong angle. It all seems to flow in a very organic and warming manner, the micro beats are one with the lush ambient throbbing synth tones, soothing ones way along the lush melodic soundscapes. To me it often feels like a walk though a warm spring days first light, trees starting to green, flowers once more showing their beauty to the world. It's about wonderful digital reawakens and heady perfumed blooming of sound. But like all great ambient music there's a sense of loss and sadness here, a sense of melcholy wonder built into the downsweaps of the soundworlds, but never enough to dampen ones mood- it just has varied emotional colours to it’s sound pallet. It’s Almost impossible to choose favourites as there are no missteps or dud tracks, I guess if one was forced you’d say the title track which opens the album, it's a prime example of the warming embrace that beats and ambience can live in. The synth lush sound banks breath in heady melodic ambience as the complex, but effortless beat work weaves in and out, over and underneath giving it the perfect balance of been part of but some how disconnected. From. Talking of the title track also included here is a video for said track, which mixes footage of a train jouney, along with flashes of roads and escalators. It cleverly illustrates the track and albums feel of beauty in our surroundings even if they are tipped by concrete and steel or beats and static . A Real revelation of an album that is as effortless as it is beautiful and smoothly sleek. Really if you have any interest in any form of eclectroincia created sound craft, you need to pick this up and cherish it. But act fast its only ltd to 1000 copies. To hear sound clips and buy direct go to this drop off station. Roger Batty
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