As Capital Steps, Seattle-based 8-bit electro producer Matthew Kenall has spent the last couple of years amongst his local club scene rocking dancefloors armed only with the simplest of live set-ups; in this case modified Nintendo Gameboys run through a fairly basic mixer. After appearances on a number of chiptunes-related various artist compilations, this debut album I’m Not Listening on Seattle independent label GoMidnight finally gives Kenall the opportunity to exhibit his video game-sourced productions over a larger canvas – a good or bad thing, depending on the level of your predilections towards bleepy, stripped-back 8-bit noise.
Opening track “Barbara’ introduces Kenall’ purist Gameboy sounds-only approach, with icy melodic 8-bit tones that sound like they’ve been taken straight from Super Mario Brothers winding their way against sparse scattershot beats that sound like tinny explosions. It’s an austere aesthetic that Kenall maintains strictly over the remainder of the ten tracks gathered here, and in many senses it’s this overriding purist sense of minimalism that proves to be one of the most problematic factors here. While rhythmically furious moments such as “Real Classy’ and “Evelyn’ Ride’ aim for dancefloor devastation, they lack the sheer ballast to really punch their weight and get proceedings rocking whilst also remaining slightly too shrill and treble-y to offer pleasant listening in other settings. In the end, it’s a bit like leaving Castlevania going on the NES in the background, and while 8-bit enthusiasts may be thrilled, I have to confess that much of I’m Not Listening left me cold.
Chris Downton
