The band seem to have spawned as many offshoots and solo projects as they've released actual albums themselves, and one that caught my eye was Doppler, by Jacob Skott, a beautiful analogue/ Kosmische piece recorded under the El Paraiso 'Impetus' series. (The idea being that a given artist has a specific time improvise a musical piece and come up with the goodies for a future limited vinyl release).
Here's the blurb from the El Paraiso website:-
Doppler is the as-of-yet most conceptual album of El Paraiso Records ‘Impetus’-series, which is the labels imprint of improvisation and chance collaborations. On Doppler, Jakob Skøtt utilizes two synthesizers and a chain of effects. That’s it. This may sound like a tedious exercise, but for an album mostly spliced together by layers and layers of first takes and unexpected real-time peaks and turns, there is a unique sense of both structure and texture filling these vibrant tracks.
Although relying heavily on synchronisation (the most important source of sound being a Prophet 600, the first polyphonic-synth to implement the midi-synchronisation signal), every track constantly shifts and turns in unexpected ways. Sometimes creeping drones seamlessly leave heavy pulsations behind in the dust, other times abruptly blending melodies into strange permutations of polyrhythms, never quite settling back into any sort of pattern. An organic element being a constant presence in these tracks.
The closest reference to this sort of music is of course the school of german Kosmiche: Cluster, Kraftwerk, Harmonia, etc. But the strains of John Carpenter & Steve Reich individual brands of modulation & repetition is just as clearly appar"ent throughout the album. Topped off with an overall psychedelic tone ala Can or Soft Machine.
Besides drumming in respected stoner-psych outfit Causa Sui, Jakob Skøtt has been involved in a wide varage of projects. Including drum duties for Limp (Morr Music) & Chicago Odense Ensemble (featuring Jeff Parker & Rob Mazurek of Tortoise, etc.). Jakob also operates as the noted shoegaze-duo Syntaks alongside his girlfriend Anna (Ghostly International). Furthermore, Jakob is the one responsible for the El Paraiso visual shtick, as well as having done exclusive live visuals for such acts as Amon Düül II, Acid Mothers Guru, actress Asia Argento & the Roadburn festival.
Impetus implies movement. The doppler effect is soundwaves shifting in pitch as the listener approaches it: Manipulation of sound thru the use of space!"
Couldn't have put it better myself (so I didn't!).
Great little video of the standout track here....
If I had to compare this release with other artists, I'd say it was a collision of early Human League (circa Dignity of Labour) with , Equinox and a soupcon of Geogaddi era Boards of Canada and a dash of Phaedra era Tangs. As I'm sure you'll agree, a tasty soup of sound indeed. Easily compares and indeed outdoes recent releases by Emeralds and ARP, who seem to have cornered this ind of analogue space rock in recent years.
Doppler is a limited edition blue vinyl release of 500 copies, get one whilst they're hot!
If you fancy a listen click here.
