Sine Compilation

Artist: Sine
CD Title: Compilation
Label: Out Records
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 1/12/05

Less a compilation than a collaboration, this disk is a continuous mix by Razor Noise of various tracks contributed by artists from the Out Records roster. Despite the chaotic and abstract nature of the featured songs, Razor Noise has managed to blend them together as seamlessly as any techno mix CD. There are occasional moments of dance music, like Arntus’s experimental acid house tracks “Retainer” and “Ice Bag,” but by and large these compositions barely feature discernible rhythms, let alone danceable ones. Trip Tribe and Ignatius utilize deep, bass-heavy beats on “Weathered” and “Debacle,” respectively, but the rhythms are too cut up and broken for raving. Meanwhile, on “Madh” and “Worm Sine,” Mohammed Mehdi’s sampled chants and distant whistles build gradually to create eerily echoing atmospheres in the vein of Muslimgauze’s mellower moments. In addition to production work on the compilation, Razor Noise also contributes two tracks. “One Thing” is cold and cerebral, with a gentle dub rhythm and extended ambient fade-out, while “Abomination” is a metallic drum ‘n’ bass assault that eventually fades into an unsettling ambience of processed voice samples. Like most of this label’s releases, this isn’t going to appeal to everyone, and despite a foundation in techno this is weird enough stuff to give your average blissed-out raver a nervous breakdown. If you like music that eats its way into your brain instead of appealing obsequiously to baser instincts, however, you might be ready to surf the SINE wave.

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