Hybernation: Snow Cover
Rednetic

Hybernation's Snow Cover alternates between meditative episodes and beat-based constructions, with much of the EP's material originating from Stuart Bowditch's library of found sounds and mini disc recordings. It doesn't surprise, then, that the one-time death metal and punk band drummer's Hybernation tracks distinguish themselves on both compositional and rhythmic grounds. The robotic funk of “Planet Öth” contrasts markedly with the delicate “Rociruces,” where gleaming melodies criss-cross, working themselves into intricate lattices of entrancement, and “011001(December Mix),” where the cranking of an engine punctuates the streaming haze. Regardless of whether the material is up- or downtempo, what stands out most is the attention to detail. “Pm-am,” for example, streams glacial synth beams over a slow-motion pulse speckled with softly clicking pulses; but, as intricate as it is, the arrangement still leaves enough room for an exotic melodic line to pull itself through the cracks. At the risk of stating the obvious, Snow Cover is as delicate and as crystalline as a snow crystal.

January 2008