DISCREPANT
Ambient / Experimental / SynthNew Vinyl LP / 18 EUR
Inspired by the idea of an ocean of islands – an Aquapelago – this latest offering from the Discrepant imprint is nothing short of a curveball for those expecting to be lulled into a soft, blissful sleep by the sound of waves crashing accompanied by gentle chords. Or at least parts of it are, and none of it is remotely that obvious or twee. Allow us to divulge.
Opening with Sugai Ken’s ‘Boundary’, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d accidentally hit play on one of those YouTube videos with an AI narrator. Spoken fragments of text describe Ningen, a humanoid-whale creature from Japanese folklore, here read as a statement about Industrial whaling. Cue a weird medley of noises that wouldn’t sound out of place in a 1970s sci fi movie. From thereon in, we’re taken deeper into this imaginary region, rich textures and deep-rooted melodies captivating pulling us down below the surface.