Henry Plotnick‘s excursion on Blue Tapes from 2014 (when he was thirteen) is a meditative collection of pieces that are about slow build, decay and regeneration. Over the course of an hour and six tracks, Henry shows his abilities with a wide variety of instruments and atmospheres that makes for an intensely satisfying, if at times bewildering, collection.
The gently arpeggiated cyclical motif of opener “Qualia” kind of sets the theme for the album. It is a base over which other sounds and textures are draped and polished, only to vanish and be replaced by something just slightly divergent. Icy tones skate across the landscape and are nudged by more random elements that crash around and try to unsettle slightly. Electronic whooshes, springs and whirrs all gather momentum and add to the subtle transformation. The replacement of sounds in the foreground is barely noticeable, and when stabbing keys jolt you from your reverie, the track seems barely recognisable, yet it is somehow the same.
“Mechanolatry” is more like a conversation around a long burnt-out stove, the different textures and sounds appearing like a gathering of grumbling old people, while “Kinetic Point” has crashing John Cage-like piano that mirrors naughty mice scampering their way up and down the keyboard. Again, there is a simple base over which ideas pour. Some are simple eight-note structures and others are little dancing harpsichord runs. It doesn’t appear that there is a plan, yet there must be. Is there a meticulous plan to this apparent randomness or is it all mapped out in vivid detail? I guess it doesn’t really matter, but it is intriguing. Side two opener “Wapiti” introduces a kind of baggy drumbeat, which is unexpected, and its high guitar is full of echo and reverb. It sounds almost like some kind of light and airy dub experiment, with sped-up inserts and backwards breakdowns that become more random as the track progresses. It is a confusing track that gives way to an easier end to the album. The final two tracks are “Izles”‘ childlike repetition of organ and splashy piano and the joyous pebble drops and congregation of musical fireflies that make up “Sun”. Its random scattered piano and harpsichord turns, and fairy-like dusting of sounds is a delightful ending to a hugely imaginative and distinctive album. Drop a line to Blue Tapes and grab one while they are still around.-Mr Olivetti-
