Kwook Unidentified Feathered Object Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi (Excerpt from track 'Ice Planet')

This is another fine. DataObscura label release. 'Dusk Midnight Dawn' mixes bright metallic tones, decaying into the ether, with a contemporary rhythmic loop. To this are added a second loop full of swirling little notes then a slow bass melody which focuses the mind whilst the backing puts you into a hypnotic trance. Things begin to change at around the half way mark, settling into a sort of holding pattern before an additional subtle bass beat is introduced in the seventh minute. A good track though I thought the first half worked better than the second.

'Helix Loop' initially uses a deep repeated drone over which other brighter sounds (many of them being quite bleepy) shimmer, often developing a faintly melodic quality. It's all rather relaxing stuff but maybe, at over ten minutes, a little too long. It is from this point however that the album really starts to shine. 'Lorikeet' is faintly syncopated, using bright tranquil shimmering drones as its base. Lovely fleeting melodies float over the top and then more beats are applied higher in the mix (though never too forceful) to disappear again a little later allowing for a nice dreamy finish. 'Universal Translator' starts with intriguing windy sounds and an excellent combination of restrained loops, one of them high register whilst the other one has a slight chugging quality to it. Various sonic colouring comes and goes, floating over the top. Eventually a really nice little melody line can just be heard nestling in the middle of the mix. From time to time faint vocal samples appear but I couldn't make out what they were saying. As we progress things gradually, oh so gradually, become more energetic. We never actually break into a sweat but it is all done so subtly that the effect is of creating mounting tension which very gradually decreases again over the last minute or two. It's an excellent but also very clever track.

'Ice Planet' is the most powerful piece on the album initially mixing a high hat type percussive loop with other exciting energetic rhythms. More rhythm is added as we progress then after about two and a half minutes things are stripped down a little for ethereal melodic pads to be heard. The oomph level is slowly increased again however whilst more little crystalline melodies float over the top. What a wonderful track this is! We finish off with, at almost fifteen minutes, the longest track on the album. '30 Times the Speed of Light' begins with a distorted vocal sample discussing various cosmic topics which form the basis behind the music. Basically we are going on a journey from Earth at the said speed in the title. As we pass each planet its name is mentioned. We commence with appropriately spacey atmospherics. As we reach 'Mars' some rather curious, but also very effective cyclical strings can just be heard and the backing pads start to swell. Things become more tranquil again a minute or so later and a little, almost random, percussion can be heard.