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Mirrorless // Kaeba
Label: Kaeba
Format: Digital
Release Date: 13/12/13
To fully understand the sound of Stroboscopic Artefacts’ Plaster act, it is probably worthwhile first spending some time familiarising yourself with the solo productions of duo member Gianclaudio H. Moniri, aka Kaeba. Whilst 2013 has been an undoubtably important year for Plaster with releases on Stroboscopic Artefacts, Kvitnu & SonuoS, Moniri has also found the time to offer up a fresh Kaeba release in the form of ‘Mirrorless’, a self-released four track EP, including a remix from fellow Italians Retina.it.
Opening the EP is the glitched out, cinematic, ‘Ektachrome’. The track develops painstakingly - taking a good two minutes to gear up to faltering melodies, processed in such a way as to make them sound like a card deck being hastily shuffled. Echoing bass tones give the track a dub-tinged feel, also adding additional rhythm to the track. With this and Moniri’s rapidly filtered chords, there is little need for complex drums - a skeletal kick snare pattern sufficing.
Following this is title track ‘Mirrorless’, centering around barbed percussion and rushing, trance-like melodies. These are kept from falling into cliché by Moniri’s excellently crafted, raw textural elements and swirling atmospheres. The combination of emotive melodic elements and razor sharp sound-design is carried off with a precision and mathematical exactement reminiscent of Raster Noton artist’s like Kangding Ray or Byetone.
'Stereopticon' follows a similar theme although the track feels less reverberating and more present - crisp clicks and snaps biting through Moniri's expressive synth-work. Retina.it's interpretation is pulverising and mechanical, steam pistons firing off in all directions between course glitches, and a rugged four to the floor pulse. The tonal elements of the Kaeba original are almost entirely suppressed, making a brief, dampened appearance in the track's closing minutes before cutting sharply back to Retina.it's churning, factory workout.
Alongside the output of the Plaster project, ‘Mirrorless’ proves Moniri has a plenty to feel satisfied with this year, and with the ice well and truly broken, lets hope 2014 brings similarly well executed releases as this.
- Published
- Dec 15, 2013
- Credits
- Words by Theo Darton-Moore