Connect_icut - Small Town by the Sea

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 22 / 4 / 2014

Label: Aagoo Records
Format: CD

Captivating and imaginative tribute to his present hometown from English-born but now Vancouver-based electronic musician, Connect_icut

Review

The small town in question is Vancouver on Canada's West Coast; thousands of miles from the US State of Connect_iCut on the East Coast and with a mere million inhabitants. Moreover the alias captures in name the nature of and the process of the music on this album. Crispy loveliness samples have been placed on the top layer on this cake of electronic music. The wide torso of which in the meantime lives off groovy beats, whilst a cunning undercurrent of mystery brings in splashing waves of novelty sounds. Field recordings and what not. Drone music, with melody, I hesitate to mention; because drone music has absolutely nothing in common with drone warfare. So far these atmospherics emerge in one lovely drizzle; when on '74 Guitars' the general mood starts to get grim, and a sinister hypnosis follows to full effect. The glory of imaginary seashore daylight on 'Cat Town' brings this dandy 21st Century LP/CD album to its fitting close. Richly riddled with fingerspitzengefühl cut and paste techniques, it feels like a deep breath. In all honesty though, I have not heard the LP set, which could be even more captivating. Nordic pragma(tism) versus vinyl .. Small beep messages acts like little warnings, as the systematic pattern to these tracks envelops. Most certainly it is a pleasurable brainwash, 'Small Town by the Sea' works like a voyage. With adventure aplenty while rich in sounds and effects, this album dwells in being one hell of a seaside resort excursion. Vene, Vici, Vancouver.