Gimmik - Slow Motion Process

Reminiscent of Boards Of Canada, with its intrinsic melodic qualities, and similarities in constitution, or Autechre, with its organic shapes, Slow Motion Process seems inhabited by nature - liquid beats and drop-like sounds form the core body of this record. No bleeps or noise terrorism in sight. The sophisticated rhythmic constructions are wrapped in luscious waves of warm synthetic silk. From time to time, a voice sample appears, almost unnoticeably moving within the spectre, cloud in an otherwise perfect sky. Or an abrasive resonance, quickly overpowered by the tide. Sounds are carefully chosen, assembled, and disassociated. The crickets opening RC Units, or the robotic gibberish that follows, the marbles at the beginning of Monitor, similar to the one heard on Autechre’s Krib, imperceptibly morphing into beat, the long reverb at the end of Form2... The focus here is on undefined cinematic landscapes, leaving behind all notions of time or spatial awareness. The listener is surrounded by complex micro organic life forms-like structures, living in symbiosis in wide-open spaces, interacting with each other. A theory of evolution devoid of any human interference.

Challenging and beautifully crafted, Slow Motion Process is a most promising first release from Gimmik. Haidinger is already proving to be one of the most exiting talents of his generation, taking electronic music far beyond any existing boundaries.

This is every bit as strong a release as Global Communication's 76:14 or Pentamerous Metamorphosis, and actually shares similarities with both. Some tracks get a bit more glitchy a la Toytronic style, but never pulls away from the general ambient bliss of the whole album. Gimmik has never disappointed me, save once, when the News From the Past EP became an mp3-only release.