REVIEWS

Various Artists
My Life in an Insulation Test

Electr-Ohm / Appliance Japan

Posted: Tuesday, July 29, 2008
By: Matthew Johnson
Features Editor

A collaborative compilation released by Japanese labels Electr-Ohm and Appliance Japan, My Life in an Insulation Test is an extensive collection of avant-garde electronic artists running the gamut from funky Asian underground beats to minimalist abstraction. Though all but a few of the featured artists will be unfamiliar to most listeners, the compilation does start off with a name that's well-known at least to power noise fans, namely P.A.L, who offers "Salvation," an understated composition of thick industrial ambience and clicking rhythms separated by sharp cut-offs. Moving things into funkier territory is French duo dDamage's "Iron Ape," with a blipping rhythm to mitigate the dark intensity of its reverb-soaked snares, and Sonic Area's "Par Amour," which uses chopped bits of Hindi singing for a sense of slightly ominous exoticism that belies its French title. Also employing a hint of Asian underground flavor is Lagowski's "Vocal Impulse Test;" although the cut-up samples are less overt, there's a definite Indian undertone to its pulsing bass lines and sultry dance beats. KNR's "Dim," on the other hand, forsakes world music influences in favor of the timeless pleasure of classic electro, updated with metallic clanging beats and a hint of distortion. For all the standout dance tracks, there are also plenty of solid offerings from the quieter end of the spectrum. Electr-Ohm label owner Sunao Inami's "Fisheries" is an oppressive arrangement of slow but heavy pulsing breakbeats that collide like overfed carp bumping clumsily against each other in an artificial pond. Saburo Hirano's "Depths in Minamo 2" is a much more pleasant take on aquatic themes, with crystalline burbling enveloped by soothing ambient textures. Also worth mentioning is Ananda Jacobs' "Alexander," something of an oddity on this compilation in that it's the only track to feature actual singing as well as what sounds like acoustic percussion; its distinctiveness is a good thing, though, because it's a gorgeously strange little piece, rather like a less aggressive version of former Swans vocalist Jarboe's solo material. Unfortunately, the other truly distinctive track on My Life in an Insulation Test doesn't fare nearly as well; a compilation like this is a great way for obscure artists to introduce themselves to a much wider audience that might otherwise never discover them, which makes it especially puzzling that Germseed would choose to contribute "Into the Night Side of Nature," a track that's little more than quiet radio static. Similarly, N-rgle's "Choto Baca" is an exercise in frustration; with its cartoon sound effects and sampled snippets of mouth percussion, it has the skeleton of a fascinating breakbeat track, but its almost complete lack of actual bass makes it hard to focus on the sounds that are present, rather than the ones that seem to be missing. Still, one or two missteps on a compilation with nearly 70 minutes of music is still a solid collection, and the two labels have done a great job sticking with a general theme of electronic experimentalism while providing enough sonic diversity to keep things consistently interesting. Whether your tastes run towards minimalist glitch music, rhythmic noise, or ambient soundscapes, you're bound to discover a new favorite artist or two.