::Warm Waves of Sound::

I really do like electronic music. Sure, sometimes it's cold and less emotive than a "more human" acoustic ballad. But, like rock music using typical arrangements (i.e. guitar, drums, etc.), smart electronic music can prove to be just as emotional. Problem is, most electronic music becomes outdated very quickly. Really, when was the last time you picked up a techno record from the mid 90's? Technology advances at such a rapid race that equipment that was once cutting edge becomes obsolete.

Take, for example, The Notwist's Neon Golden and the Postal Service's Give Up. Both groups have created great pop records that I thoroughly enjoy listening to. Unfourtunately, I already feel like these records have become dated. The Notwist, in particular, is a great pop record, but still sounds too synthetic with its clicks, bleeps, and drum machines. I know that the point is to combine the electronic with the pop melody, but something gets in the way--the "state of the art" machines they used. This record is no longer fresh. And freshness is key in listenability.

Enter: Keith Fullerton Whitman's Playthroughs. (Note: I'm not a pretentious asshole who only supports the avant-garde.) Now I could give you a whole back story on Whitman, but that would downplay how good this record is and trivialize where it is coming from. Yes, it's great. It stands alone, apart from almost all other electronic records that I've heard in the last few years. Aside from that, one can listen to the record repeatedly, finding something new each time. It's a thrilling listen that exists independent of genre, time, and place.

So what does Playthroughs sound like? OK, I'll try my best. Basically, Whitman has made a record of hums, drones, guitar feedback, and other harmonic noises that gently melt into one another. Think shoegaze without drums. This record has the capability to dismiss rhythm and still sound more interesting than 95% of electronic music. Strike that, music in general. The "songs" (it's recorded in 5 parts) layer innumerable amounts of warm tones on top of one another creating an electric blanket of sound. The music washes over you, causing the hair on your neck to stand up. Occasionaly a click or bleep finds its way into the mix, but not really for rhythm's sake--these pops remind you that, no, you're not in heaven, just listening to what it might sound like. I really don't think it's an accident that the cover has photos taken from a plane looking down upon the earth.

I know that in 5 years I'll be able to listen to this record an think, "damn this is some beautiful music." It won't be pigeonholed to an area. It won't sound dated, because Playthroughs sounds like it was created with wind, fire, water, and earth. And it won't be compartmentalized or stuffed into a genre, because it doesn't sound like anything else.

Or, at least I hope it'll sound as new--who knows what the future has in store?