There is something so delightful about Courier Sounds‘ three-inch CD packages. There is real care in the colour scheme and presentation, while the sounds contained are little gems, ones that have to be carefully selected considering the relatively short duration of the format. Sound recordist/musician Kim Rueger trades here as Belly Full Of Stars, the moniker denoting her more abstract, electronic experiments.
Here in Brokendatapool, the sounds rather emulate the title, blending synths with found sounds and textures derived from re-purposed objects, including a sound sculpture made from the remains of an office chair. What we have here is twenty minutes that start off with the glistening tones of “Hissandmisses” that are refracted in early morning light. The bubbling glow is diffuse and hazy, and sits atop a backdrop that is gently euphoric, swathes of electronics that paint a starlit sky, celestial bodies beaming and filling us with a warmth that is lovely. “Hapticmains” is even gauzier, with a sleepy feel that captures blissful moments, receding in and out of view like a half-remembered dream.
At times, the drones are overwhelming in their gentle softness, but the metallic clangs — like a dull, lifeless wind chime — and the electronic fireworks of “Skeletondrive” change the tone a little, with the stifled chimes juxtaposing with the warm embrace of the dronescape. Carillons of bells are at the forefront of the final track “Skipandwow”, but they appear at odd intervals and are triggered seemingly randomly. Some are loud and right next to you, while others are over the road or behind a locked door, their capacity reduced and causing the others to have a greater effect. While all this is going on, circling around you as you check over your shoulder and under the bed, the backdrop lulls you, sidling up to you like a hungry cat awaiting food. Then it is gone, the whole thing vanishing in a puff and you have to press play again. You just have to.-Mr Olivetti-
