by Fred

Clinical Archives has been heating up lately. Try first this twelve-minute EP by Enko, titled Okne. (Track titles are “Ekon,” “Enok,” “Neko,” and “Keno.” Me? I see no connection whatsoever.) This is warm digital, well-paced and well-textured. No beeps. No static. No ring around the collar. Enko is pictured above.

Exhibit B: our post Saturday night may have understated Termite, by Pentliczek. Writing about music is said to resemble dancing about architecture, and there is no way to write or dance this music into life on a computer screen (Clinical Archives gives it a game attempt anyway: “experimental; electroacoustic; other.” Yeah.) You simply have to go listen. It’s daring, chaotic, harmonious, pulsing, repetitive, not repetitive enough, noisy. And free for streaming or download. Right now I’m listening to “Flat State, Grains of Blue.” Isn’t that title reason enough already?

And lest we forget our first find of the year so far, revisit Live Sonar 2009 by Carlos Suarez. It’s been over three weeks now, and I’ve barely listened to anything else. Expansive, kinetic, remarkably composed, even a bit teasing, this would have easily shortlisted among our 2009 favorites, had we found it when it was first released. Timing is, as they say, everything.

(Yes, before you ask, these are all instrumentals and no, before you ask, I do not know what I have against vocalists in the early hours this young decade. I really have no idea.)