Levon Vincent - Arpeggiator EP

  • Share
  • Levon Vincent's sonic palette is so well established that a synth company could enlist him to craft presets bearing his name. Equipment with the Levon Vincent touch would likely be snapped up in the same way his vinyl-only Novel Sound releases are, which arrive with little fanfare and quickly disappear from record stores. The handful of elements—earworm leads, rave pads, dubby stabs and huge kicks—Vincent has used to craft timeless bangers are all present on the Arpeggiator EP, and the familiarity works mostly in his favor. An arpeggiated lead is "Arpeggiator"'s only static part, while effects, drums and brief melodies ripple in the background. Vincent has already explored this theme successfully on last year's cover of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" and "Launch Ramp To The Sky" from his 2015 album. On "Arpeggiator," Vincent sounds like a big-room Steve Reich. This time the trademark minimalism lacks the dynamic heft of previous examples, falling short of Vincent's high standards. The B-side emphasizes the EP's sense of restraint. On "A Woman I Know," another latenight jam, a three-chord riff does its hypnotic best while the kick drum, leading a march that lumbers along at 125 BPM, pitches up and down. By the time Vincent sends abstract synth wiggles into the thick atmosphere, he's won us over again. Arpeggiator won't change anyone's mind about Vincent, but it's a solid entry into a catalogue overflowing with classics.
  • Tracklist
      A Arpeggiator B A Woman I Know
RA