- Konx-Om-Pax's musical world has been getting friendlier lately. On last year's Caramel, bursts of rave optimism illuminated its gloomy nooks and crannies. On this follow-up EP, a pair of melodic techno bangers chase out the remaining shadows. Dance floor directness isn't the Scottish producer's usual mode, but he nails it on "Cascada," whose spiralling chord loop and retro-fabulous vocoder oddly call to mind Lindstrøm, were he raised not on disco but on a gritty Scottish rave diet. The slightly weaker "Species With Amnesia" taps the weird nostalgia trip of Boards Of Canada, a major Konx-Om-Pax influence. The end result, stomping and a little whimsical, would've worked on mid-'00s Border Community.
Completing the EP, two remixers rework tracks from Caramel, finding their own styles reflected in the music's gently warped surfaces. µ-Ziq's "Caramello" mix of "Caramel" stacks layers of celestial synth melody, pivoting between dazzling jubilance and something darker. Huerco S. turns "Beatrice's Visit" into an "Extended Stay." As with last year's ambient productions for Proibito and Quiet Time Tapes, the track's 11 minutes of ambient drift are so low-key that their richness and sophistication could easily be missed.
Tracklist01. Cascada
02. Species With Amnesia
03. Caramel (µ-Ziq Caramello Mix)
04. Beatrice's Visit (Huerco S. Extended Stay - The Morning Version)