By the time the meditative, strings-driven "Zone Null" brings Void Beats/Invocation Trex to a close, it feels like the end of a journey that reveals Cavern of Anti-Matter as a playful yet profound group capable of touching on the cosmic as well as kosmiche.
The default groove might be early 70s motorik – Tardis Cymbals is a typically beatific workout – but tracks Blowing My Nose Under Close Observation and Hi-Hats Bring the Hiss are proper dance music, while the Sonic Boom-enhanced Planetary Folklore is both spacey and creepy.
By focusing on simple, catchy melodies and loops and interesting drum rhythms, Cavern of Anti-Matter avoid many of the traps their peers in both the instrumental and electronic disciplines fall into. That focus keeps Void Beats / Invocation Trex consistently entertaining, especially on its longest compositions.
Void beats enjoys advantages over lesser Stereolab releases like 2001’s Sound-Dust by offering a rockish danceability they never explored.
With his new band, that air of futurity doesn’t carry quite the same weight, instead locking into the familiarity — driving rhythms and synth drones. It might not be as explosive as Stereolab, but Void Beats carries the same hypnotic quality.
- impact / listenability = 7
- creative / musicianship = 7.5
- consistency = 7.5
- recording (1/2) = 7
- feel factor (1/2) = 7
- overall = 72.5
The diversity in the tracks is the most engaging quality of the album. It's fun.
Once you entered this cavern, it would be very difficult to find your way out.
Just follow the progressive, electronic melody and after a long exploration, you would have discovered your possible exits.
For me, the repetitive style inherent in Motorik/Berlin School, etc. is an acquired taste. So, with this 2016 release I have found myself pleasantly surprised that in spite of a couple of low spots, the balance of the record is great. Having Bradford Cox [Legendary Wolfgang Press] provide a vocal gave it a cherry on top. Basically, you might want to consider using this music in the same manner ambient electronic music is used... To color your landscape. Honestly, I just pretend that Gane isn't ... read more
1 | Tardis Cymbals 12:51 | |
2 | Blowing My Nose Under Close Observation 4:07 | |
3 | Insect Fear 5:20 | |
4 | Melody in High Feedback Tones 3:53 | |
5 | Hi-Hats Bring the Hiss 9:06 | |
6 | Liquid Gate 2:00 | |
7 | Pantechnicon 8:49 | |
8 | Black Glass Actions 3:17 | |
9 | Planetary Folklore 6:04 | |
10 | Echolalia 4:17 | |
11 | Void Beat 9:37 | |
12 | Zone Null 2:53 |
#6 | / | Bleep |
#10 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#17 | / | Uncut |
#20 | / | Rough Trade |
#22 | / | Norman Records |
#38 | / | BrooklynVegan |
#77 | / | Crack Magazine |
#85 | / | Fopp |