Phonem - Hydro Electric

Akin to Arovane's TIDES, Phonem's HYDRO ELECTRIC takes mixes the warm melodies and cold rhythms of IDM into a luscious liquid bath. But Phonem sustains these sounds over longer periods of time, rather than keeping them short as Arovane does. "Mainframe" has the percussive clatter with gorgeously layered synth tones for all of its 12 minute running length. "Currents" is half as long, but just as bucolic. On the title track, the chaotic percussion comes to the fore, with the melodies adding background texture. But the noise and melody balance in an impressive way on "Information Technology," while "Isodensity" takes us back to the icy mellowness (and length) of the earlier tracks. A noteworthy addition to any budding IDM collection.