US-based electronic producer Brian Froh first emerged under his (ghost) alias last year with his debut album ‘Departure’ on n5MD, and a scant year on this second album ‘A Vast And Decaying Appearance’ sees him expanding the depth and scope of his productions considerably further. Despite its fearsome sounding title however, the ten tracks here often see Froh venturing out into more gentle and contemplative soundscapes based around blurred ambient textures. In particular though, it’s the incorporation of (occasionally untreated) guitar elements into these tracks that sets this album apart from a lot of the other post-IDM explorations of the n5MD label, injecting a slight post-rock feel that adds a palpably human feel and warmth to the often brittle and icy electronics.
‘780.03’ slowly unfurls this album with gently chiming guitar strings gradually bleeding into a background wash of blurred-out ambient textures as distant unintelligible voices emerge somewhere in the distance. ‘4blend’ meanwhile sees rattling glitchy rhythms and sudden corkscrewing DSP effects adding a chaotic undercurrent to the serene glassy synth chords that drift beneath. Elsewhere ‘Transmit’ sees Froh flexing some more rhythmic muscle with a streamlined glide through juddering kickdrums and scissoring broken rhythms that sees sparse brooding bass pads and distant guitar echoes adding a suitably dark undertone to the phased synth tones that waft in the foreground like smoke. Finally the aptly-titled ‘Dreaming Is Enough’ closes this album gently with a languid drift through delicately ebbing ambient tones and subtle guitar chords that sees a slow thudding bass drum echoing through the cavernous mix as hints of treated vocal textures whisper at the very edges. An impressive second album that sees Froh substantially expanding his approach and maintaining a increasingly warm edge to his intricate productions.
