Set to be their most ‘expansive and adventurous project to date’, Retcon is the 3rd anniversary celebration release from Glasgow based label Bricolage. Covering no less than 20 tracks on the album, it’s filled with old and new artists alike. Each track is its own unique avenue of electronic music, covering a massive breadth and depth of the unexplored corners of this genre.
Like the rolling in of a new dawn ‘People Find Time’ by Equal parts is a smoothly subtle, brainwave massage. With almost an oriental feel, it is cleverly composed as it auspiciously builds from beginning to its climax around the third quarter. ‘Turning in Place is equally entrancing. In which Human Age expertly utilise orchestral strings as the opening sample. The almost 8bit melody arrives unexpectedly, showcasing what feels like a bit of a digital overture as the track flows through theme and variation. It builds to a room filling resonance that is beautifully captured by sustained chords and ticking drums.
The tone changes a bit with a more suspenseful harpsichord style arpeggio, that ripples through the opening of ‘Simonetti’. Jaffa kid demonstrates both elegance in musical composition and expression. You’re left wondering where you might be headed as the strings creep around in the background. In contrast Dark Fidelity HiFi offer up a playful combination of tuned percussion and upbeat rhythms to lighten the feel.
‘Nine’ bounces between your ears with some clashey sustained notes that trickle along passively to open this track. Anonymous3 introduce the first use of spoken voice samples on this album to give what can only be described as a slightly eerie, sci-fi kind of experience: like a futuristic tropical wonderland. Continuing this other world experience is Crest of the Syndicate with Abbots, with more of an underwater pulsing melodic melange of wave like sounds.
More instrumental in nature, and a fairly serene affair, ‘Restless Man of All Work’ sounds more primitive and bare in the way it includes what sounds like ancient bells and gongs. In complete contrast Devras Plexi introduce ‘Today’s Communities Relax’ which makes use of strong and definitive electro chords while still remaining very chilled like the preceding tracks: totally a massage for the mind.
Up next is another mind vibrating song, with the character of an old school commodore and prowess of a modern hip hop or RnB tune. ‘The Nicest of Vices’ is particularly successful in doing what creative electro does best, in pushing the boundaries of what music genres mean. A class act from GrevusAnji. Fragile X present Res Ipsa Loquituris which is utterly ethereal, in the sense that it feels too perfect for this world. Then we move into something a little darker, with creepy sampling and creaky white noise like highlights in ‘Terra Ratio’ from No Arrival. It fits nicely with the artist’s name.
‘The Life and Death of A Neuron’ is similarly dark but feels slightly less sinister. All Buttons in make a clever use of floating chords that are overlaid with dystopian, mechanical melodies. Switching the theme slightly is the aptly named ‘Jellied Minotaur on a Bed of Lettuce’ which brings us a lighter feeling key, but also a mysterious, meandering backing instrumental which leaves you wondering where Bellal Pelegrim took their inspiration from.
The party starts in the paradoxically named ‘Buzzkill’. Brought to you by Minerva, it is a bouncey, techno trip from outer space. It brings a refreshing reprise to the highly skilled and chilled tracks that went before it. House drops in next in ‘Burst Into Flames’ meshing a classic bass beat with breathe-like samples which then builds to an subtle drop feature. Loui Cleghorn know how to bring a track to life. The next track from Sceadu starts more auspiciously, but you can feel the anticipation begin to emerge as the layering of instruments and bass beats grows. ‘Multiverse’ keeps things simple yet enigmatic.
‘Dear Grey Place’ kicks in with a classic hi-hat beat before quickly shifting into an almost eastern party extravaganza. Esef takes you on a little trip, again adding to the diversity of this anniversary album. ‘Aquarius’ is starkly different, returning to delicate percussive highlights and rolling beats. Lo-Jacker offers up an understated yet classy tune. While ‘Bamboo’ is meditative in its opening, but then Sulevia drop in a modern clash of orchestral characteristics and deadly cross rhythms.
After such a varied journey through this electronic expanse of Scottish artists. The final track is brought to you by Minimal Drone GRL who leaves us with ‘Bifurcated Worlds’. It’s a 10 minute meander through whispering notes and lingering chords. It functions like a sleepy outro that sums up the talent on this album nicely.
Retcon was released on the 31st August this year, you can find the full album on Bandcamp, including further details on past releases from Bricolage. This album is testament to the success of the label so far, helping many local artists to grow and gain exposure on the Scottish electronic scene.
https://bricolagecollective.bandcamp.com/album/retcon-bc038