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

VA: The Silence Was Warm
Symbolic Interaction

With its third release, The Silence Was Warm, Japanese label Symbolic Interaction proves itself to be no slouch in the high-quality compilation department (mind you, not all of the contributors are Japanese). There is a concept of sorts, with the dozen tracks designed to be soundtracks for ‘Ryokan,' a Japanese style hotel, and the album's theme is “What's modern Japanese style?” The mood here is definitely on the becalmed and mellower tip but the compositions, whether they're acoustic-electronic post-rock settings or becalmed meditations are consistently strong.

Library Tapes sets the tone immediately with a pretty piano etude awash in vinyl crackle (“Letters Never Sent”), and Oba Masahiro upholds the direction with “Colomo,” a quasi-classical setting of flute, cello, strings, and piano that Masahiro situates alongside swarming electronic noises. Modern Institute's (Teho Teardo, Martina Bertoni) “Cars” joins strings and electric guitars in a slow and ponderous dance, while Weave works electric piano and drums into jittery, post-rock swing in “There Are Devices” and mixes in a bit of drum'n'bass and acid too. Elegant piano-based pieces by Headphone Science (“Architecture Lifestyle Traditions and Culture”), Tanaka Munechika (the glitch-treated sparkle of “Lost”), and Aus (Yasuhiko Fukuzono) (“Ram”) appear, as do heavily textured, orchestral-electronic mood pieces by Maps And Diagrams (“Phone Addict”) and Summer Night Air (“07”).

August 2007