JR Plankton – Neon

….it boasts some outrageously simple hooks and riffs, such as on the tremendous funk marathon that is Sundance – a brutal head trip very much in the spirit of Gavin Russom.

….it boasts some outrageously simple hooks and riffs, such as on the tremendous funk marathon that is Sundance – a brutal head trip very much in the spirit of Gavin Russom.

 

http://www.karaokekalk.de http://www.konkurrent.nl http://www.m-minimal.com

 

An expansive and richly layered record, one that is almost stupefied with a welter of thick glossy beats. It’s a release that is comfortable paying tribute and looking forward, it’s that confident. On the one hand it’s dedicated to the late great Conrad Schnitzler, the “arch experimenter”. The LP certainly shares Conny S’s sense of fun and the absurd, maybe with the gargantuan opener Musique Electronique there’s a nod to Conny S’s 1974 work, Zug as well as TEE…  Neon also harnesses the vibe of the poppy, playful French dance releases that were so prevalent in the late 90’s, such as Daft Punk’s début or Etienne de Crécy’s Super Discount.

Neon is a determined record overall despite the almost lacquered richness: it boasts some outrageously simple hooks and riffs, such as on the tremendous funk marathon that is Sundance – a brutal head trip very much in the spirit of Gavin Russom. And City Jungle builds up considerable sonic pressure merely by hovering around for eight or so minutes, never really straying far from its sonic architecture constructed from a distorted arpeggio sample. Nakamura is patience itself, slowly building to a blissful synth wash that is ever so slightly (but appealingly) naff. Possibly the best track is the last one, Regen, which is an electronically powered heartbeat of deep, thrumming synths, creating a restless but mesmerising soundscape and conjuring up images of gliding down the Autobahn at night.

 

A great and enervating listen.