Arctic Sunrise: Click.Pause.Nothing
Airvent Media

Cryptically described as “assembly line music for robots” by Mary Anne Hobbs, Click.Pause.Nothing is a raucous two-track 7-inch by one Arctic Sunrise (Ashley Brown). Piano sprinkles open the A side's “The Flickering Torch” harmlessly enough before frenetic drill'n'bass beats splatter their whirring and clicking selves all over the place and calmer analog tones inject some semblance of melody. Put simply, it's the kind of seizure-gripped ferocity Squarepusher fanatics worship. The flip's funkier glitchfest “Break Failure” slows the pace but ups the noise ante by soaking its writhing elements in a distortion bath; listen carefully and you may even hear faint traces of pianos and synths bobbing to the surface of Arctic Sunrise's murky brew. Guaranteed to keep your anxiety levels high.

April 2007