Driphouse

A new collection of killer, tempered synthesizer workouts from Darren Ho on Spectrum Spools. The seven tracks featured have are have the kind of fragile beauty - and playfulness - that we associate with the early electronic music of Wendy Carlos, Daphne Oram, Raymond Scott and their ilk. There's a strong narrative arc to the album, but each track explores distinct territory: 'Slow Sum' parts one and two' are playful agglomerations of phased analogue patterns, 'In Peru' a Budd/Roedelius-style ambient pastoral, 'Dots' a right-on kosmische pastiche, 'Smiley' a sticky, KFW-style drone raga replete with distant, ritualistic choral chanting, the superlative 'Chompers World' a kind of piano-laced, malfunctioning digi-clock polka. The twee harpsichord flourishes of 'Back Into The Hole' bring things to an agreeably unheimlich, Ghost Box-esque finale, rounding off what undoubtedly counts among the more intriguing offerings from John Elliott's ever-reliable imprint. (boomkat.com)