Mystified- Major Fog 2

ARTIST: Mystified

ALBUM: Major Fog 2

LABEL: Latex Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 7-20-10

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A follow-up to the self-released CD-R album Major Fog, this release sees Mystified delivering a set of quiet techno remixes, making the dark ambient drone tracks of the original more accessible while retaining their ethereal mood. Opening track "Static Shimmer (Remix)" is the perfect segue, with Mystified mastermind and producer Thomas Park taking a light touch, augmenting the ghostly ambiance of the original version with a subdued clicking rhythm but leaving things largely alone. From there, he branches out into a sort of ambient techno that seems inspired by The Orb's Alex Patterson but doesn't copy him directly. "Vacuum Fugue (Remix 2)" pulses moodily, the aural fog thick enough to distort the soft heartbeat thump of electronic rhythms, and "UFO (Remix)" drenches warbling analog arpeggios in echo effects. Classic electro also seems to be an influence, with "Major Fog (Remix)" shuffling along to a pleasantly robotic breakbeat and "Blizzard (Remix)" taking a darker turn with a tense bass line rumbling beneath ambient tones as frigid as the song's title suggests. Available as a digital download from Latex Records, this release is experimental without being overly difficult and serves as an excellent introduction to Park's work.

For more on the work of Thomas Park, visit https://mystifiedmusic.com.