| Post-techno is a decent way to describe what's here, although it's limiting and may not accurately describe how a musician comes to make this kind of music. It's not, at first listen, all that different from a quiet, somber rock band like Califone, or even an unemotive Cat Power, but give some time for the interaction between electronics and piano, acoustic guitar and harmonica to present it's unique vision. What sets Neotropic apart - and what's behind a term like post-techno - is its comfortable relationship with the studio. The gentle touch of echo and reverb, the mixing of live instrumentation with sampled sound, the effortless movement from melody-based songs to gentle soundscapes all speak to the skilled songwriting and arrangement of Neotropic, which is primarily a vehicle for Riz Maslen, who produces much of the music here and plays everything from keyboards to drums to glockenspiel. This is a shimmering, intoxicating record that lives between ambience and rootsy slowcore. - Metro Pop |
2XLP/Out Of Print