Broken Waves is a collection of previously released limited edition compilation tracks for a wide variety of labels such as Static Caravan, Smallfish Records and the Boltfish label itself. Far from sounding like a collection of also ran tracks, though, the works, by Boltfish co-owner Wil Bolton in his Cheju guise, hang together seamlessly giving an overview of his warm and inviting version of glitchy electronica.
There is variety, as is to be expected in such a collection, from the pure sinetone electronics of ‘Conduit’ to the heavily processed piano of ‘Moiré’, rhythmic explorations with heavy bitcrushing such as ‘Object Not Found’ to mostly harmonic information of ‘Bracken’ with it’s gentler, simpler beats. What binds most of the pieces though, is a consistency of timbral grain. Cheju obviously loves his bitcrushing DSPs and deploys them almost universally across the tracks. His great success is that, where that description would often suggest a sonic harshness and music that repels the listener, Bolt contrasts the grit with beautiful chordal progressions on warm synths which give a great sense of intimacy (naturally heightened by the use of headphones – highly recommended).
The 12 original tracks are rounded out by three remixes he has done for other artists which, by their nature, take on slightly different hues based on the original versions but which demonstrate the strength of Bolt’s individual voice. For an introduction to the Cheju aesthetic, this collection is an excellent starting point.
Adrian Elmer
*
