Have you ever watched the waves melt into the sun? That moment of bliss in which the mind is completely suspended in harmony with its sensory self. This is how it feels to listen to the EP re-release over at Bricolage from Devras Plexi. Frequent Inspirational Chore is described as an “audio kaleidoscope” and I couldn’t think of a more fitting analogy. The frequencies that will be channelled through your mind on this journey through colourful sounds will change your perception of what you thought of as electronic music forever.
It opens with ‘Something we dreamt’ It is a pulsing melody and a meshing of scintillating waves. It starts almost playful and simplistic with a strong punch to the bass line and clapping samples that signify joy in the way that they always make everything just that bit brighter. It meanders through deeper tones and layers of harmonies. All the while maintaining this solid backbeat. It builds to something more complex towards the end in which there is a ping pong like relay vibrato that gradually fades until the bare end.
Similarly sparkling is ‘Silk’. It begins with a sweeping highlight sample that opens the door to sustained notes that sing out over the top of the truly complex structure going on here. The trickling, almost glockenspiel type sound brings us into to that glitch world of magical electro dreams. The truly onomatopoetic nature of this track definitely conveys the idea of something akin to silk.
In contrast, what we are met with next is a bigger statement piece. ‘Sources vi’ is a darker, deeper contortion of synth feels, all entwined in this contrasting rhythmic backdrop which calls out in syncopation, but still manages to sit neatly under the melody running above. What Devras Plexi does here is really smart. The understanding of musical textures is key to the success of this track as it manages to create a sense of disentanglement and borderline chaos in its constituent parts, yet utterly, utterly solid as a unit.
Carrying on with a likewise brasher tone is ‘Recovery’. Imagine glitch hop meets some kind of wonderland. The neat little samples of fluttering bell-like sounds lift the low heartbeat bassline that comes through as the lifeline of the tune. As it builds towards its ending, an unexpected high pitched whistling sings out to take you out of the trance you’ll find yourself in after 3 minutes of this beauty.
Next, you’ll find yourself waiting in suspense, a low-key beginning is the order of the day in ‘Sensory Deprivation’ which is suggestive of something more baron. It is scarce in its layers with very low frequency waves channelling softly, deep in your ear canals. It’s like the short interlude or reprise that still has a great capacity to draw you in.
‘Diffuse:Grid’ is completely juxtaposed in feeling. Much like the third track it is more like an 8bit goldmine. Complete with all of those chalky, coarse sounds that wreak of electro excellence. The complexity of this track is delivered by means of a simplistic melody and several supercharged hooks, you’ll feel like you can take on the world after this one.
On the original track, ‘Ender’s song’ was not a feature. But what a stellar addition it is to this track list. It is a melodic, breath-capturing snippet of solace in amongst a set of golden masterpieces. We then get to continue our ever-morphing journey through this EP with ‘Passive: not threatened’. Ambiguous in name but entirely definitive in character. Akin to some kind of ancient or Native American vibe. It’s a floaty pool of some sort of string samples and pretty overtones. But underneath lies scratchy glitch bass-tones and beats that play with your conception of genre and timbre. Wait for the ending as this one, exits so wonderfully on an entirely acapella melodic pattern that remains imprinted in your heart for days to come.
Taking a more traditional approach with ‘Passive: not threatened (Lo-Jacker remix) giving us that four-on-the-floor beat. It is almost melancholic in delivery yet strangely comforting in the communication of a strong sense of identity. Once again Devras Plexi presents a masterful ability to layer tracks, create structures that play with the familiar and dance with our closest dreams to make us feel a part of these tunes.
Frequent inspirational chore is a revamped version of the original EP which was released only six months earlier. The new additions include “sources vi”, “diffuse:Grid” and “ender’s song”. It has already been given acclaim for it’s ability to transport the mind into deep imaginative and evocative spaces, and experience not to be missed! You can find the EP on bandcamp and for more from Devras Plexi and Bricolage at the links below.
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