Platform - Four Elements - CD (2010)

Labels: Minimal Resource Manipulation
Review by: Gareth L

More minimalist bleeps and bloops from Mr. Platform, again with that sinister, almost haunting atmosphere throughout. There is a kind of low level dread that accompanies these 4 tracks, and ‘Neodymium’ especially reminds me of some dark psychological computer game when you’re wandering through an unfamiliar grim street at night-time basically waiting for some one or some thing to jump out at you. Whereas the previous CD I reviewed here was based predominantly around ‘natural sounds’ from his house, this feels very computerised and programmed, and although I did prefer ‘Categories of Dust’, this EP is pretty good too. It does have 2 very short tracks that feel like appetisers before the main course track that comes next (‘Neodymium’ being 7 and a half minutes, ‘Praseodymium’ being over 10 minutes long) but the longer tracks are really something; the sheet that came with this CD calls it ‘hypnotic and unsettling’ and that’s pretty spot on. As you may have guessed the tracks are actually named after 4 different elements, and like knowledge of the ol’ periodic table, Platform’s music is kind of esoteric and specialised but if you’re into it you’re really into it.