A Tribe Called Glitch, Vol. 1: Elements of Circuitry

Artist: Various artists compilation
CD Title: A Tribe Called Glitch Vol. 1: Elements Of Circuitry
Label: Backwards Records
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 4/23/06

This lengthy new compilation from Backwards Records does a good job treading the fine line between the experimental electronics of artists like Sporadik and 440hz and the more extreme noise offerings of projects like Nova-Sak. Quantum-Source starts things off with "Birth," an industrial ambient march of deep, distorted snare drums and echoing bell-like effects, but DRoiD moves things away from the dark and creepy realm with the low-key rattling and warm string samples of "Andavert Traveler." Rhythmic noise built on a four-on-the-floor house music beat comprises "First Pressure" from Nichts, and Pentalith's "The Eyes Of Hir" is likewise rhythmic, if less danceable. There's plenty of dark ambient, glitch music, and avant-garde techno for fans of more cerebral stuff, with the abstract breaks of Sporadik's "Object Permanence," the jungle-infused "Rough Seas" from The Weirdnerd, and the creaky drones and mechanized rhythms of 440hz's "Dv8" being particularly good examples. Syphilis Sauna's Patrick Urn also moves into this sort of territory with the uncharacteristically chirpy "2 Cultures (One Slide)," which, though still plenty out there, wouldn't feel entirely out of place on a collection of Warp Records material. For fans of noisier stuff, Nova-Sak's "Pure & Brilliant" is appropriately jarring with its seemingly random assemblage of distorted beats and crashes, while Kuxaan-Sum's "Writhing Ov Thee Serpents" is an extended piece of dark psychedelia, dripping with slow, distorted pieces of conversation. While still plenty esoteric, there's enough variety and enough relatively non-confrontational pieces on this disk to win over fans from outside of the extreme noise scene, and this compilation ought to do a good job increasing Backwards Records' visibility to experimental music fans.

Visit www.backwardsrecords.com for more information on the Backwards Records roster.