Void Beats/Invocation Trex

Cavern of Anti-Matter - Void Beats/Invocation Trex
Critic Score
Based on 13 reviews
2016 Ratings: #488 / 1004
User Score
Based on 27 ratings
February 2, 2016 / Release Date
LP / Format
Duophonic / Label
Krautrock / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Uncut
Due to Joe Dilworth's propulsive drumming and Holger Zaf's synth work, these 12 tracks never stray into stuffiness.
80
Pitchfork
It was sometimes unclear when Stereolab's mid-century references were meant as kitsch, but here, Gane & co.'s retro-futurist flashback feels optimistic, as though convinced that the key to fulfilling the promise of a new era were just one perfect rhythm away.
80
AllMusic

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.

80
The Skinny
Cavern of Anti-Matter sees Stereolab's Tim Gane return to the fray with an epic 72-minute album full of the kind of metronomic beats, Krautrock and electronica which made his previous band such an eclectic delight.
80
Mojo
Pulsing, hypnotic 13-minute opener Tardis Cymbals is a tough act to follow, with its primitive drum machines and rippling bassline, yet they trump it with voyages into scything death disco, bright Floydian vistas and even '60s vocal pop on Liquid Gate.
80
The Observer

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.

70
PopMatters

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.

70
SPIN

Void beats enjoys advantages over lesser Stereolab releases like 2001’s Sound-Dust by offering a rockish danceability they never explored.

70
Under the Radar
The attention to detail in the mixing of these accents is impressive in this collection, as it all coalesces into a sound that is both silky and relentlessly progressive.
67
Consequence of Sound

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.

60
Record Collector
The band doesn’t come off sounding as distinctive as Gane’s most praised ensemble, but there’s certainly potential in abundance.
60
Q Magazine
Though some tracks' slightly antiseptic atmospheres mean reality-obliteration promised by the group's name fails to fully manifest.
50
Spectrum Culture
Stereolab fanatics will no doubt find things to love about the record in part because it’s from a beloved figure. Everyone else will probably have a harder time accepting the back half of the album. It’s hard to imagine it came from same mind that gave us the first half’s brilliant moments.
72

- 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.

tha138
70

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.

daFigz
83

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

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Added on: November 24, 2015