| Welcome, my fellow employees, to the glitch factory that is Loden! In "Valeen Hope," the Belgian producer crafts electronic icicles that are poised to hit the dance floor. Written between Amsterdam and Brussels, and originally released by the Dutch label Eat This Records in 2005, this album introduces shoegazing to the club-oriented partygoers. Some years ago, the Newark, NJ-based hip-hop crew Dälek began their path as metal-rap-shoegazers. Now, it's time to once again read from My Bloody Valentine's dusty manuals and take the nebulous heritage a little higher. Loden's is a subliminal work, but one that skillfully pushes the listener to the depths of his lonesome "Tears For the Thirsty" or to the invigorating flights on his "Ideal Skies." Either way, the wizard is as hypnotic as a pendulum swinging back and forth, and the journey as dizzy as a circular racing track. And yet, you feel moved by joints like the fuzzed-out, self-revealing "A Star On Your Shoulder", and the guitar-driven title track. The whole experience is a slow-burning take on pre-sound cinema, snaking its way through the wide unknown of modern art. Scary and conciliatory as it is, "Our Exploding Lives" serves as a suitable soundtrack for late night driving, while the closing track, "KNKK," goes back to that dreamy glimpse of snail-racing comets. Popular wisdom states that staying away from temptation is the best way to keep one from falling into it. The motto suits Loden's first venture just fine because of its highly addictive features. But it's better to take a bite out of the forbidden apple than to die without knowing what it tastes like. - Properly Chilled |
