analysis

Interesting releases on the Entity label aplenty, but several of them really deserve some special attention. Some artists never build on the potential they showcased and are forgotten after only a couple releases. Reason enough to dig up this album.

d.compose is a one-man project run by Bret Truchan. As d.compose, he only delivered two releases, which is by far not enough considering his talent. On Seed, his first self-released album, he reinterpreted electronic industrial, injecting some fresh blood into a rather stale and drained genre. It remains one of my all-time favorite albums, but little people noticed.

When d.compose landed at Entity he delivered a release which is a lot darker and less accessible compared to Seed. While his first album was still deeply rooted in the industrial genre, Analysis takes a more experimental approach, resulting in a strange blend of genres. Early breakcore experiments collide with dark, brooding ambient soundscapes, industrial rhythms and distorted glitches, creating a sound that continuously shifts between atmospheric and danceable styles, never settling in either one of them.

The "hit single" Sn 100132-45 is simply lifted from Seed and added to this release, hopefully giving it the extra attention it deserves. Especially the harsh, uncompromising start of the track is classic. Distorted basses, screeches and glitches are battling to form a rhythm, eventually settling down in a banging but unstable continuation. The second part of the track slows down but remains very noizy and harsh. Slower basses crack the rhythm, finally bringing the track to a healthy stop.

The Exclipsect mix of Sn 100132-45 is quite tame in comparison. It's a pretty simple track, keeping the distorted sounds from the original but placing them in a more straight-forward structure. It's quite fast-paced and the only track with an outspoken dance angle. Still, I can't help but wonder why Sn 100132-45 was chosen for this treatment. There's little left from the original atmosphere and the result isn't all that impressive. Nonetheless a decent track that will fill a dance floor (if the right crowd is present of course).

Compound Eye is a track that retains a close link to the industrial dance genre, but is evidently more subdued. The samples used are softer, less distorted and have that slightly trancey EBM feel to them. The structure of the track is too complex for a floor banger and there's no thumping bass to guide you along, but some adapted IDM rhythms provide enough food for leg exercises. An interesting track illustrating the balance d.compose maintains between experimental music and bashful dance tracks.

Completing the album are two tracks that bring out the best in soundscapes and blend it with abstract rhythms. Threshold keeps the claps and basses but fails to shape them into a danceable mold. It's an interesting track that flows between soundscapes and rhythmic electronic, never really picking sides, always fluctuating. Closing the album is a remix by Duncan Avoid, a project started by both founders of the Entity label. Similar to Threshold, soundscapes serve as a basis, this time enriched with more abstract sounds and glitches. It creates a very cold, mechanical and complex sound that is as much unpotentialized film as it is music. Awesome track and worthy climax of this album.

Analysis is a worthy addition to Seed, further developing the experimental nature of d.compose. Sadly, it was also his last effort. Apart from the Exclipsect remix, all tracks contribute something to this release and the genre(s) in specific.

The album can be downloaded for free and directly from the album page on Entity.