Published October 16, 2012
A side project of melancholy orchestral maestro Ólafur Arnalds and Bloodgroup member Janus Rasmussen, Kiasmos explores the pair’s shared interest in minimal techno and electronic sounds. Their first release, ’65,’ had a dry, hard production that hinted at the sounds of Robert Hood and Jeff Mills, but their latest release has jettisoned a lot of the techno harshness for a style that’s softer and less aggressive.
The opening track “Thrown” slowly builds a three note bassline and 4/4 rhythm around a trademark Óli Arnalds string signature (plus, do I hear a sample of a lighter being used for the rhythm track?). It sounds good, but left me a bit cold and does lack something, a real sense of punch or tension. “Wrecked” though has a much stronger sense of urgency to it, with some queasy off-centre synth lines and whipped, blocky beats being thrown in the mix.
While it might not have true dancefloor glory written all over it, ‘Thrown’ is a decent listen that will easily appeal to fans of the Kompakt label aesthetic.
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