- Compelling synth-and-drum experiments with an improvised feel.
- Dave Huismans has evaded expectation at every turn. From the seismic dubstep-techno hybrids of his early 2562 albums to the angular club music of his now-mothballed A Made Up Sound label, he has long seemed fixated on exploring new modes of expression. His latest release, At Klangendum, finds him experimenting with an impressive list of obscure synths, drum machines and effects units. It was recorded last year at Rotterdam's WORM Sound Studios, where Huismans drew material from two sessions and assembled them over the course of seven months into this 46-minute-long piece.
You can recognise Huismans' instinct for jagged rhythm all over At Klangendum. The ambient sections, however, feel new for him. The opening wash of hums, blips and pulses is more mellifluous than usual. You can also hear him experimenting in the changing movements and timbres of a particular synth as he works the dials. When things get more hectic, he seems to maintain an easy command of the machines at his disposal.
At Klangendum is cleverly paced. Just when a passage threatens to linger too long, a new shape enters the mix. It lacks the polish of his other releases, but that's inevitable of a project fuelled by investigation into new or unfamiliar equipment. That rawness, combined with the ever-shifting arrangement, makes it a gripping listen. Even as a freeform alternative to his usually precise approach, At Klangendum contains some of Huismans' best fusions of rhythm and sound design.
Tracklist01. At Klangendum
02. At Klangendum