Steve Hug Organics Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi (Excerpt from track 'Organics')

Proceedings open with the title track ‘Organics’. A low, throbbing beat gradually transforms into a sequenced delight and immediately the imagination is captured. Spyra comes to mind as the electronic acrobatics tread the wire between dance floor “cred” and traditional EM rhythmics. An atmospheric time out comes surprisingly early but soon the rhythm re-constitutes and, if anything, the Spyra references are even stronger now. Whispered female samples are a touch superfluous but do not detract as the electronic pulsations weave a mighty groove, with complementary syncopations the icing on the cake. A fine 11 minute opener. I’d buy this album for the opener alone but lets see what follows... ‘Bioelectric Fields’ is a 5 minute no-nonsense sequence / electronic rhythm escapade with synth pads glueing it all together. Stabbier and less fluid than the opener, it still impresses with it’s stop/start approach. ‘Macrobiotic Adventures’ opens with skeletal oscillations which transform delightfully into a low pitched chugger. Synth pads give it a more commercial and accessible feel, contrasting well with the moodier pulsations. Synth motifs blend together for a well placed half-time interlude and the more you hear this the more the quality shines through.

The 17 minute ‘Symbiotic Cycle’ follows. It’s split into 5 parts and opens carefully before the rhythms start. This time the sequences are accompanied by a full blown synth theme which can be described as satisfactory rather than wonderful. Part 2 starts not quite as seamlessly as I’d expected and gets straight into a rather plodding beat which does tempt a fast forward prod. Part 3 is relatively grandiose to start with but the rhythmics soon re-establish themselves to drive the track along at a fair pace. Part 4 is a pure stripped down sequential stomper with numerous twists and turns, leaving the short part 5 to wind up with a reprise of the theme which had surfaced occasionally throughout the various sections.

The strangely titled ‘Black Eyes’ follows and deals a sucker punch with falling scale chords which I always find irresistible. A slow but alluring beat takes over and a quirky yet captivating track results, with a genuinely infectious air which Schmoelling would have been proud of. What else would ‘Preserve the Rainforest’ start with but the sound of insects and frogs. Before one can say “Bud - wise - err” a snappy beat ensues accompanied by synth riffs. Must say that, ‘Black Eyes’ excepting, the melodies definitely fall short of the sequencing in terms of quality though this is a relative statement and they are by no means bad. Two “bonus tracks” close the album - a bonus over what I don’t know, but ‘Asian Future’ is a sequenced masterpiece with eastern flutes, more Spyra syncopations and a body moving beat. And at 9 minutes long the enjoyment just goes on and on! The final piece ‘TimeSpace Victory’ is a brasher affair almost in Shreeve mode with the most accomplished themes on the album.