Articles
Roger O'Donnell
Morgan Packard

Albums
The Ace of Clubs
akido
Cenotype
Cyrus
Mathias Delplanque
Entia Non
Michael Fakesch
False
Forrest
Kraig Grady
Kiln
Kingfisherg
Low in the Sky
Payton MacDonald
Manitou
Martin & Machinefabriek
Mt. Fuji Doom. Corporation
Need More Sources
Nobile
Odd Nosdam
Ontayso
Jair-Rôhm Parker Wells
RF & Lili De La Mora
Schmickler / Chisholm
The Sea
Seabear
Valgeir Sigurðsson
Silvania
Six Twilights
Aaron Spectre
Stamen & Pistils
Swayzak
Tijuana M. A. Broad. Inc.
Utom Alla
Pete Warren
Yaporigami

Compilations / Mixes
Box of Dub
Expanse at Low Levels
Ibiza – Renaissance Vol. 4
Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1
The Silence Was Warm

3"/ 7"/ 10"/ 12"/ EPs
Abiku / Kid Camaro
Audio Injection
B12
Bering & Simko
Bury the Sound
The Caribbean
DJ C feat. Zulu
Entia Non
Flavius E
Andre Gardeja
Lerosa
Magnum 38
Microthol
Ontayso
Troy Pierce
Ghislain Poirier
Rusuden
Skoozbot
Slap [unmodified]
Sonmi451
Joel Tammik
TG

akido: Blink
Nordique

Blink, the second album by Montreal guitarist, sometime film composer, and one-man-band Kim Gaboury (aka aKido), makes the merging of electronic and rock genres seem like a winning and natural formula. Gaboury's music raves without lapsing into out-of-control mayhem, and its elegance is bolstered by the inclusion of Joyce Vallus's silky vocals. Also distinguishing Blink is the fact that Gaboury composes songs, not tracks, so that electronic pop pieces like “Cause Célèbre,” for example, impress as studiously arranged and sequenced wholes. Songs repeatedly take surprising twists and turns: “Mikado” somehow manages to work into its six minutes Tears For Fears' “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” rhythm, sultry Asian atmospherics, symphonic electronic pop, and shoegaze guitar riffing, while traces of drum'n'bass and acid lurk in the background of “Fade-up” though the lead saxophone melody suggests the piece would make an ideal addition to a European crime caper soundtrack. In addition, “Cipher” pulls a Dabryesque beat into its celestial orbit where clapping beats collide with haunted synth atmospheres and electric guitar, “Dancing in Chains” layers chiming melodies and over a softly pounding shuffle, and “Volte-Face” slows the pace with languorous, piano-based hip-hop. All that and, with eight songs totaling thirty-eight minutes, Blink's admirably free of bloat too.

August 2007