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

Need More Sources: Shed
Moteer

Quite a lovely debut album from Chris Stewart (aka Need More Sources), and one very much consistent with Moteer's reflective electronic music aesthetic. With changes of season and weather patterns the thematic threads, Shed alternates between light and dark, quiet jubilation (the spirited folk dance “Spring” explodes in a joyous mix of violin, piano, and hand claps) and melancholy (“Autumn” elegantly augments somber piano minimalism with a violin's warble). Such contrasts never get too extreme, however; in another's hands, “Storm” might rage wildly; in Stewart's, the neo-classical setting's string patterns are urgent without being violent. The album is filled with strong moments: awakening slowly, “Morning” opens the album in meditative manner with seven minutes of see-sawing violins that emerge from an electronic haze of gentle washes and harp strums; the delicate drone “Snow” glistens with tablas and keening strings; and “Breeze” pairs dusty piano meander and strings with the almost subliminal whoosh of winds. Especially lovely is “Rain” a placid and peaceful setting that positions clusters of harp plucks alongside a graceful stream of melancholic melodies. One caveat: a shame Stewart felt compelled to include occasional drum interjections which not only conventionalize his sound and compete with other instruments for attention but are wholly unnecessary; his Need More Sources material is structured and propulsive enough to hold up fine without such percussive enhancement. Though the first six minutes of “Valley,” for instance, are almost unbelievably beautiful, the delicate mood is disrupted by the intrusion of drums, even if, in this case, the move introduces contrast.

August 2007