Mesh UK Vinilo y CD

Review: London's Max Cooper has stated that when he plays a live show, he likes to deconstruct the performance into fragments of sound on a granular level, paying meticulous attention to detail. For his Emergence live A/V (that he's been touring for the last two years), he applies these same principles to the visuals; using a variety of MIDI methods that are synced and allow him to manipulate both in realtime. It's the story of how "everything comes from (almost) nothing," using knowledge, theories and insights gained from his previous role as a geneticist. Cooper weaves a together a fascinating auditory experience here, his second album since 2014's Human, covering a variety of sonic moods in his now signature way. Take for instance "Trust" featuring the lovely vocals of Kathrin deBoer and a bit of help from good studio mate Tom Hodge; here jazzy drum and bass arrives via field recordings and classical aesthetics in wonderful harmony. Also, the deep, multi layered and ethereal journey track "Waves" sees Cooper on point, as usual, until "Cyclic" goes for something a bit more ferocious on this broken beat techno exercise where inventive use of sampling and sound design collide with perfect tension and suspense.

Review: Jinje is a solo project from Lee Malcolm, a founding member of the Leeds-based experimental band Vessels. His music in solo mode is just as singer and hard to categorise as with his band and here on Mesh he veers between electronic, synthetic and organic sound worlds with driving breakbeats topped with gorgeous string sounds, hype-real synths and a shimmering sense of sonic futurism that is awash with melody. These are hugely detailed tracks but the overall picture is never confused as his arrangements ebb and flow with great clarity and make both a physical and emotional impact.