Alpha Aesar: Alpha Aesar
I, Absentee

It doesn't surprise that Alpha Aesar's self-titled release sounds reminiscent of Suction Records circa 2000, given that Warren Kroll (Forrest, Dorosoto) and Carl States' (21 Jumpsuit) fourteen originals were created between 1998-2001 and were, in fact, at one time considered for release by Suction. When the Toronto-based label didn't issue it, the material sat in limbo for years until I, Absentee rescued it from oblivion. The material doesn't aspire to be heard as earth-shatteringly innovative but rather as infectious good fun that's very much in the classic Suction—in other words, Solvent and Lowfish—mold: breezy and effervescent analog IDM-pop filled with infectious hooks, punchy drum machine beats, and synths galore. With its bubbly melodies and handclaps, a song like “Puppy” can't help but bring a smile to your face, while “Genie” and “Spinning Wheel” kick up mini-cyclones of electronic pixie dust with high-velocity beats and Möbius strip melodies. “Sharp Cut” and “Tension Modulator” bring contrastingly funky and melancholy dimensions to the proceedings.

I, Absentee freshens up the release with new remixes, with one of them a tasteful treatment by Suction co-head Lowfish and the five others by Coppice Halifax (Milieu), Dorosoto, Mall Security (Steve Lutes), 21 Jumpsuit, and The Red Falcon Projects (Kroll and Lutes), resulting in a seventy-three collection that's more than worth the purchase price. Dorosoto transforms “Puppy” into a lush ambient setting, Mall Security reshapes “Glimpse of Fashion” into a jubilant futurama of Caribbean swing, and Coppice Halifax re-imagines “Synthetic Sun” as a galaxial ambient cruise. The Red Falcon Projects even slip a smidgen of dubstep wobble into the panoramic IDM of its “Milk and Honey” remix at disc's end.

The sole knock against the original material is its lo-fi production quality as all of Alpha Aesar's songs were recorded live to cassette; consequently, even though re-mastering was done to enhance the sound, it isn't as rich and multi-dimensional as one would like (the difference in quality is more noticeable when the remixes appear). The release is also an historical document of sorts too, as it's a complete retrospective of the duo's entire output under the Alpha Aesar name.

October 2008