POWELL レコード& CD

Review: Since he first emerged on Diagonal a decade ago, Powell has been associated with abstract rhythms, hard-edged electronics, modular madness and fearsome experimentation. Piano Music 1-7, then, is something of a departure: a set that's as equally as inspired by piano jazz and neo-classical musical movements as fractured electronica and the Radiophonic Workshop. Of course, this is not piano music in the Nils Frahm sense - much of the actual piano motifs are delivered on lo-fi keyboards and synthesizers, while his fluid, attractive and ultra-melodic refrains come wrapped in studio effects and occasional electronic textures. A great example of this hybrid sound is 'Piano Music 4' - all alien electronics, woozy piano riffs and unsettling experimental intent, while the raw beauty of shimmering ambient number 'Piano Music 7' is simply sublime.

Review: Powell's work has been described as 'jerky electro' by some critics, which isn't to suggest he's a jerk. Instead, it's because things often sound, and feel, unpredictable. Rhythmic patterns aren't quite what they seem, if they even really exist, time signatures can jump around without warning and production rules are, generally, given short thrift. Nevertheless, his work is always pleasing to hear.

Flash Across The Intervals takes that mantra and reduces it to the bare minimum, and yet there's nothing restful about the tracks. In fact, as the staccato distortions and whirs of the opener shows, there's actually a lot happening. 'Performance To A Harsh Critic' is perhaps the most track-y track, in terms of construct, but even this is really about experimenting with textures of noise, with highly sensory results.