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Mikroknytes:
Live_src
Live_src is the Mikroknytes second album on DC area record label Crank Automotive. Like their last self-titled album, Live_src is compiled of live improv sessions that have been given an after-the-fact studio treatment. The format works as well on this disc as it has in the past, and it is apparent that the boys in the Mikroknytes have been improving their system, as their compositions are simultaneously more complex and more natural. With theyre developing compositional skills, it is also apparent that the Mikroknytes are taking full advantage of the onward march of technology, as the sound of Live_src seems to be leaps and bounds beyond their last release in terms of the quality of the electronic sound sources and the intricacy of the mix. The Mikroknytes are clearly not intimidated or lost with the new technology; on their new disc they stick to what made their last album succeed and move away from some of the moments that seemed out of place. Less time is spent with odd and out of place stuttering beats, while even more attention is paid to crafting rich, cavernous sonic environments. Live_src is full of wonderfully textured ambient sweeps, with backgrounds that are lush, and full of detailed sounds that skip in and out of focus. Once again, Redknytes violin performance takes an important role in these works, and adds a living, if seemingly otherworldly, timbre to the tracks. To me, the standout piece, the one that both translates best to the recorded format while still capturing the essence of a Mikroknytes live performance, is the seventh track, Amelioride. It begins, as much of the album does, with a gradual build of ambient textures composed of various inconspicuously pulsing soft tones. The violin drifts in and out of the track, occasionally sharing the lead with some of the ambient detail that occasionally drifts forward in the mix. Finally everything fades away and the track ends with stuttering insect-like scraping. The effect of the whole thing is a haunting openness that creates a feeling of loss and loneliness through well-crafted particular sound qualities, rather than through the cheap coldness of untreated digital sound. Live_src is great. The Mikroknytes have recaptured and improved upon all the qualities that sold me on their last album and added some sophisticated new ideas that really elevate their style and sound. I am impressed.
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