Search - Sneakster :: Pseudo Nouveau

Moody Trance

loteq | 08/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an excellent CD. Sneakster is Ex-Seefeel member Mark Clifford with a new vocalist. Highly recommended for headphone listening. Repeated loops with a dark feel and mellow vocals. Cinematic - a soundtrack for insomnia at 2am. This release also features 3 re-mixes by Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins)."

Silent dust

loteq | Regensburg | 03/22/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Formerly known as the guitarist, songwriter and producer of Seefeel -- perhaps the most important yet still underrated cross-over band of the '90s -- Mark Clifford has issued a few experimental albums and EPs under such banners as Disjecta and Woodenspoon since the mid-'90s. During the same time, however, it also became clear that his old Seefeel band-mates, who went on to form their own projects such as Scala, Locust and Aurobindo, would never fully recover from the split of this fabulous band; while their talent and predilection for advanced production techniques are obvious, their albums suggested a slight lack of chemistry and cohesion. So, and what did Clifford do after his departure from the famous Warp label in the late-'90s? He issued "Pseudo Nouveau" and the accompanying 4-track EP "Splinters" on the Cocteau Twins label 'Bella Union', a not unexpected thing, perhaps, since Clifford has experienced a long-time friendship with Twins guitarist/producer Robin Guthrie. Despite this much-promising inspiration and the fact that Clifford even brought in a female vocalist to breathe some life into his ambitious soundscapes, "PN" is, in my opinion, still his least distinguished release since Seefeel's swan song "CH-Vox". The overall feeling is that of Clifford being interested in recycling the musical ideas that made Seefeel's techno-inclined efforts such as "Succour" and his remix work for the great "Otherness" EP by the Cocteau Twins so unique, but without such a vocal wonder as Liz Fraser or the pulsating ambient-dub rhythms of Seefeel; the songs are a touch more friendly all around but remain quite pedestrian and repetitive at times. "PN" hasn't got enough musical ideas for its 43-minute length because many tracks feel like remixes of each other -- there are at least three cuts, "Splinters", "Trust and blush" and "Sweet melody", which share exactly the same melodic loops. Another problem is Sophie Hinkley's childish, high-pitched voice which, for all the inner conflicts and dark lyrics on this album, displays no emotion whatsoever. Happily, there are still a few tracks to ensure that there are reasons to listen to "PN": The opening "Whileaway" sets the album's tone and general sonic style, mixing hard-hitting, mid-tempo industrial beats with deep bass pulses and Hinkley's jittery vocals to create a track which is quite emotionally turbulent and intriguing, especially towards the end where a nice choral effect is introduced. Variations on this basic formula throughout "PN" are seldom, but "Splinters" is another stand-out cut with low-key, wonderfully atmospheric interludes that contrast sharply with the industrial brashness and invasive drum loops of the rest of the track. "Fireheart" features something that could pass as an electronic harpsichord, adding a light classical feeling so typical for the Cocteau Twins's work, while the 6-minute "Stolen letters" and "Static" come a bit closer to Seefeel's "Quique" with their mesh of light percussion, relaxing atmospherics, and calmer vocal delivery. As the title indicates, "Heavy heat.." is indeed a fairly abrasive piece with distorted bass punches and more intricate rhythms; however, all this doesn't resonate the way it should and can only be given a marginal rating. At least the album has the chance to finish well with the wistful "Sweet melody", which again favors deep bass lines and slow pace, though revealing the sameness in both tempo and melody to some other pieces on this disc. And this is what makes "PN" a somewhat redundant album: Too many similar songs exist, and although some of these pieces shine, there's nothing to compare with the sense of grandeur on "Otherness" or Seefeel's idea of reinventing techno by using traditional instruments and digital manipulation. In my eyes, the 18-minute EP "Splinters" is a much more concise and focused sample of Sneakster's sound, featuring the album version of the title cut and three remixes which completely deconstruct the original song. "PN" is in no ways a bad album; most Seefeel fans and those who enjoy the output of Mira Calix and other recent Warp signings will surely discover some intriguing bits here, but taken as part of Clifford's quite brilliant oeuvre, "PN" is somewhat of a disappointment."