Articles
2007 Ten Favourite Labels
Backtracking Greg Davis
Shackleton Interview

Albums
John Luther Adams
Joseph Auer
Commix
Dartriix
Floratone
Furniture
Shuta Hasunuma
Richard Hawley
Hologram
Icarus
Kiln
Kobol
Labradford
Last Days
M83
Mai
Darren McClure
Near the Parenthesis
David Newlyn
Objekt4
OK Ikumi
Ontayso
Wendel Patrick
Phon°noir
Pocahaunted / Robedoor
Poostosh
Prefuse 73
Quosp
Rapoon
The Retail Sectors
Skull Disco
Socos
Supersilent
Tigrics
Trentemøller
Zuydervelt / Baars / Veld.

Compilations/Mixes
Airport Symphony
Devil in the Detail
Dinky
EXPANSION | contraction
Funckarma
Little Darla v. 25
One Five Zero
Playgroup / Alter Ego
Signal Path
Soul Jazz Singles
U-cover Mix 03 [IDM]
Ricardo Villalobos
We Are All Cotton-Hearted
Well Deep

3"/ 7"/ 10"/ 12"/ EPs
Basic Unit
Bodycode
Kit Clayton & Sutekh
Dartriix
Ditch
INKlings
Insanic4
Lackluster
Najem Sworb
Ontayso
Sutekh
The Tamborines
Telafonica
Zainetica

Darren McClure: Softened Edges
The Land Of

Originally from Northern Ireland and now living in Matsumoto, Japan, Darren McClure constructs the nine soundscapes on Softened Edges from field recordings—sometimes radically processed and sometimes untreated—and software-generated sounds. The material is evocative, regardless of whether the source material is identifiable or not. Though “Let Your Eyes Go” is assembled from heavily-treated sounds, its atmospheric drones and melodic fragments convincingly suggest the shimmer and sparkle of a still pond on a summer afternoon; “Distance,” on the other hand, is a purer field exercise with thunderstorms, pelting rain, bird chirps, and car noises cohering into a directly referential collage.

Sonically, the material offers up no shortage of beguiling chatter and ripple. In “St Fence,” gleaming organ tones and repetitive motifs produce a glassy façade, while “Kg Court” is characterized by gently tolling bells, fluttering electronics, and churning rhythms. There's a microsound, 12k-styled feel to the material with McClure obsessively focusing on minute elements, structures, and rhythms. “Lab Pin” is a particularly lovely setting of becalmed tones, tinkles, and vaporous drift where softly rising melodies buried within the clouds are so quiet they're almost inaudible. Needless to say, Softened Edges proves most rewarding when broached as ‘headphones listening.'

December 2007