Ian Ion – Gringo Locomotion

Read the digipak sleeve, and you’ll see this album has an interesting concept! We all know Ian Johansson from Koxbox and Saiko-pod, but music under his alias Ian Ion is new to me. A debut such as this, with an IDM / Ambient release is impressive. There is much about this album that reminds me of other artists. Elemental Journey (Matt Coldrick and Matt Hillier) is a name that pops up, and of course, there is a level of familiarity with previous work of Ian. The 12 tracks are quite diverse in terms of feel and sound. There’s a good balance between having to be relaxed listening to this and how much it relaxes you - and I also get the feeling that the album is doing a great job of surpassing the casualness and “let’s be experimental just to be experimental” feel that other IDM musicians might have a tendency to express. No, this album follows the exact same quality of production as other Chill Tribe Records releases have – and that’s impressive to say the least. The album is roughly divided into three parts, and everything is mixed in a way that gives great fluency. Vocals, live instruments and synthesizers are all working together, and with good headphones or a decent sound system, you’ll hear the impressive amount of work put into the effects of stereo sound. Most of the soundcapes are in the higher level of frequencies, and the level of detail is remarkable. This really is IDM on a very high level, and you won’t have to run through the album many times to understand the structure and sense of direction it offers. The middle part of the album is full of ear-candy. Really, sit down and concentrate on what you’re listening to, and you’ll realize the talent presented in the build of effects and layers of sound. “We Could Be Housewives” is an excellent example of this… I’ve never been a big fan of this kind of music other than ‘the greats’ within IDM, and this album is definitively one of those that jumped out at me to shake my frame of mind regarding my personal preferences. Stick this record under the Christmas tree and watch the holiday stress fade away in the blink of an eye. Interestingly, the last third of this album offers something completely different. Sunshy’s crisp guitar play, with a touch of Röyksopp, a voice message and a Casio-watch beep are all in store to change the mood to something else. And, for my part, the last track - To My Future Past - is what pushes this album from great to excellent. This is absolutely blissful music. By then you’ve stopped thinking about “is this ambient or IDM?” your head is soothed and you’re anticipating what this last, long track has to offer. It’s like a big cookie at the end, in contrast to the shorter (and at times very short) tracks in the previous two thirds. The lower parts of the levels of frequencies kick in, mid-base and even lower base. Ah, you simply don’t want this to end! I love this part of ambient music when you’re able to turn the sound up at very high levels without having to regret it when your brain starts to pulsate painfully… Instead, you’re enhancing the detail and the structure of the tracks that lifts the atmosphere greatly. This has definitively a Scandinavian sound to it; Biosphere is another name you’ll be thinking about throughout this hour. I can’t do much else than to tell you that this is some of the most impressive beat-less music in my collection, and any lover of IDM and Ambient should not be without it.