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The Mikronkytes: Self-Titled
Right now, pure, electronic
music is in a very bad place. Rather than leading to the golden age of beats,
the commercial and creative promise of the late nineties ended with a seemingly
infinite number of stagnant, isolated and incestuous sub-genres, churning out
the same thing without moves toward innovation. For some doubters, there is a
real sense that the creative promise of digital music, which once felt endless,
has reached its limit. For every genre-exploring, expectation-testing,
preconception-bending piece of work put out by Mouse on Mars, Fennesz, or one of
their ilk, there are two or three equivalently banal, unexceptional, expected
releases by former greats, possibly from Warp or Ninja-Tune, that sound like
they should have come out five years ago. There is something about a great rock
song that is timeless. It always moves its audience. Listening to classic
electronic tracks is different. There is a museum-like quality to the
experience. No matter how good the track, the close association between
technology level and the sound quality and type leads you to think, "I
remember when it was like this," or for you young types "So, this is
how it was." No one starts writing a new album in search of an outdated
sound, thinking, "This is gonna sound just like 1994." They just
frequently end up that way. Before
I start to worry you, let me make it clear, the Mikroknytes are an exception.
They have found something great, something they can exploit indefinitely that
will always keep them fresh and relevant. The Mikroknytes do live electronic
improv in a way that is more interesting, innovative, and successfully musical
than almost anyone else around today. This is the opposite end of the electronic
spectrum from the horn-rimmed shut-ins, hunched onstage, gnomishly tapping away
on their PowerBooks. Instead of the clean silver laptop with the glowing apple
there is Derek Mortons (or Commie 64s, if you will) desk, piled with
arcane looking knobs and wires, which actually look like they should be
making obscure improv drone music, rather than participating in the
production on a new Pixar film. Combine with this John Coursey (Redknyte to
his friends) on violin, the occasional centerpiece of the Mikroknytes, and you
have all the ingredients for a rather arresting live experience. Electronic
music, especially abstract and avant-garde electronics, lacks good performers.
When an electronic act performs well, it really distinguishes them from their
buzzing and bleeping peers. The Mikroknytes beats range from dead and steady
to stumbling, accompanied by all the requisite environmental sound that can be
pumped out of Commie 64s boxes. While not always dense, the sound is always
interesting. Redknyte pushes his violin through so many effects that its pealing
sound is sometimes hard to separate from the droning backing. At their
best, the Mikroknytes produce rhythms that are just enough to keep you from
getting lost in the layered ambience. Coursey propels the work along by
putting an organic, moving element forward in the mix. It can be really
good stuff.
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