Delaware Road supremo and all around electronic whiz Alan Gubby has been producing pieces under the pseudonym of Zyklus for the best part of forty years, which is an incredible feat, let alone all the other pseudonyms and collaborations. ‘
There are two tracks dating all the way back to 1983 which sound so great; “Gallium” is all post-goth drum machine and rumbling bass vying for a spot on a 4AD sampler LP, while “Counting Down” is a moody, industrial atmosphere threatener, all dark streets and spectral guitar. The love of sci-fi is obvious throughout and 1984’s “Stimulacra” has a wonderful descending throb while 1987’s “It’s All In The Mind” and the tiny “Word Falling” could have snuck onto the Blade Runner soundtrack. 1989’s “About Turn” is a chunky dystopian brooder, while 2006’s “Porridge Funnel” hints at its later birth with a Tron-like synth buzz that brings to mind a Trans Am experiment in atmosphere.
There are points where I am reminded of the kind of bedroom experimentation that Pram would undertake, the toytown rhythms of 2002’s “Dixy Blow” & 2001’s “Endtitled” being particularly imaginative and slightly as if they are creeping around a quiet house. But it is an album that just keeps on giving; there is a Hacienda vibe to the bouncy but incredibly short “In Sync” from 1985, while the spacey keys and laid back feel of 2001’s “You And Me Both” begs the question is it Balearic? 1987’s “Avaganda” comes on like a one-man bedroom Test Dept, while 1999’s “Your Education” has post-rave beats tucked up under the disturbing looped voice. It is rather fascinating to see what sounds of the time were infecting the tracks from particular years; yet they all sound like the musings of one person trying on different disguises, feeling different energies and using them to his advantage. I like the fact that the years have been given, but that doesn’t isolate them and many of the tracks step outside of what might be obvious boundaries. In fact, the album opener, with its hectic rhythm, hip-hop breaks and sultry piano is from 1999, while the closer 1989’s “Grey Sleep” is a liminal drift of Angelo Badalamenti proportions, its pretty echoing keyboard hinting at doomed romance.It is a soothing end to a wild journey, but nothing on Stimulacra outstays its welcome. Everything is spot on, and in fact some of the pieces feel as though they are just hints of a larger work in progress. It does feel a little like time traveling to sit back and allow the album to work its magic; and who knows, maybe the coffers are full of items for volume three. Until then, make the most of this.
-Mr Olivetti-
