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This 12" is the second in the vinyl series from the French Textile label, this one a split featuring Ticklish and Fizzarum. Ticklish provide one long piece called Rubato which starts with layering test signals - pulses, sustained tones, electro chatter, and a purring buzz. The buzz becomes the focus and builds with a pattern of lighter tones subdued in pulses sequence behind that. a strand of drone is lain in, a passing sound looping to become a clear layer, with which we get an increased crackling sense. The crackling a popping, bristling buzz of a molecular layer. There is a hint of an effected voice babbled into the mix as the track starts to develop a distinct vibe of kinetic sound. While the background is a buzz the fore becomes a wet glitching rhythm, a sound that is a touch off kilter. More obvious voices call out in this section, odd pulses interspersed with their cartoon impression. Buzzing extrusions extend into a more noise territory, the sort of popping, scraping soundscape type stuff. High pulsed bleeps form an attempt at communication, one it bravely sustains with fluctuations and tonal shifts. Agitation, pops, whirring motions - pulsing, slipped glitches - humming tone, a spiralling nest of sound.

On the other side Fizzarum provide two tracks Tond Three and Tond Seven. Tond Three starts with the pulse and chatter of computer/modem type sounds, then a hissing beat and hard bass stroke emerge from that. This builds a form of rhythm, with a humming, buzz of melody coming in each section of that almost a reluctant addition. This provides a sluggish feel between the pacing of the beat and the contrast of the melody, though with that it's not a down sound, but reasonably warm and promising. With a turn it steps up, changing pacing and the feel of the sequence, with strained signal providing percussive bursts and squelched tones mixing in. there is a sparser more difficult section while it stumbles over its new found direction. This done it steps back up again whirring beats and unwinding tones, little mechanisms triggering a wire based string melody. Tick and buzz progress, again with a depth rather than pace. A sudden finish leaves the way open for the gentle hum of Tond Seven and the skipping rhythm with hints of pulses between the tones. A tumble and the track collapses, emerging from that in a more streamlined manner - tighter popping, sglitching motions, and a growing hum. The budding melody soars aloft while the blocky beats provide a restraining gravity, with little pulsed sparks from the resisting synergy of the two. As this progresses the track is a stream of sound that gels well, flowing along quite nicely. Approaching the end we have a clear popping loop sequence and the last peak of the melody.

RVWR: PTR
August 2001

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