Search - Electric Birds :: Electric Birds

In the sonic nest occupied by Electric Birds (aka Deluxe label principal Mike Martinez), loops, samples, and meticulously programmed beats nourish the kind of heady, minimalist electronica that hatches ever so rarely. The 12 tracks here never devolve into mere background music, as Martinez resists the urge to just push "play" on the old Powerbook... The result is a wide range of sounds that jumpstart the grey matter and prick up the ears. Much like his labelmates Matmos (who are credited with "additional production" on the album), Martinez has the uncanny ability to weave seemingly unrelated fragments into logical, flowing pieces. "Slampic" affixes sampled piano lines over thumping Casio beats which threaten to burst into pure house but never do, while the stacked, melodic beats in "Hyper Elevation" eventually drop out altogether in favor of some highly skilled, bare-bones techno workouts. Elsewhere, Martinez has his way with otherworldly tonal effects. "Parallelogram" mirrors the phasing genius of Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians," as mallet instruments strike a "melody" over wobbly, skipping tones. "Finger & Stroke" is much edgier, its deep bottom end coalescing into crashing, My Bloody Valentine-ish waves of sound and unabashed distorted hums. The album's final two cuts, "Invisibility" and "Lost Leaders," turn another corner entirely, recalling the sad guitar picking and funereal drones of acts such as Windsor For The Derby and Early Day Miners. "Electric Birds" is one of the most creative, electronic-based albums to drop in some time, its panorama of sound the perfect chill for overheated clubbers. - Jonathan Cohen - Billboard Online, spring 2000.