Cyrus Rex: all.ofmeHyde
Negative 3

Cyrus Rex may be best known for his contributions to LA's industrial scene but all.ofmeHyde spreads its roots more globally, given its predominating Schematic-Warp merging of Richard Devine's obsessive micro bit-crunching with Autechre's morphing cranial splatter. Much like Booth-Brown's oft-imitated template, Rex juxtaposes melancholy, even angelic melodies, with the requisite array of clanks, whirrs, and scrapes (“reXxDown”). His music engages most on tracks like “Jiggle Wisket” where he allows the song's glistening melodies some breathing room, even if his customary clatter and splatter buries them as often as not. On “annoyAnts,” he pairs sing-song melodies with laconic beats, and even works some silky tones in amidst the blips and bleeps. Perhaps Rex's fecund imagination is most fully captured in the densely orchestrated “ice wall o' the wretched sea man” where gentle piano and synth melodies rub shoulders with fleet breakcore patterns and voice samples. In addition, all.ofmeHyde includes remixes from Vaclav, Venetian Snares, cEvin Key, and anon though they admittedly stray little from the style of Rex's own nine tracks. While all.ofmeHyde won't win too many points for originality, those with an unsated appetite for clanking funk beats and grinding machine noise won't be disappointed.

November 2004