London-based multimedia artist and sound designer Mat Ranson began his first explorations as Fisk Industries back in 2003 with his debut 10-inch EP The Isle Of Wight through UK independent label Highpoint Lowlife, and since then he pretty much hasn’ looked back, releasing a steady rate of subsequent EP and digital-only releases through the imprint. This expansive 2 disc retrospective collection on Mush does exactly what its title describes, with all of Ranson’s previously-released Fisk Industries material represented here, alongside five previously unreleased tracks. The first EPs disc collects together both of Ranson’s previously 10″ vinyl EPs; 2003’s The Isle Of Wight and its 2006 follow-up 77 And Rising in their entirety, and though the two date three years apart from one another, the transition between EPs is more or less seamless here.
Anchored predominantly around near-ambient, glacially contemplative synthscapes and sparsely-programmed downtempo rhythms, the spectre of standard-bearers Boards Of Canada invariably raises its head at numerous points here, perhaps most notably in the fusion of eerie off-key analogue synths, wave samples and brooding bass of early track “The Isle Of Wight’, but there’s still plenty of evidence of Ranson’s own individual stamp here. It’s particularly with the newer tracks drawn from 77 that his own distinct flavour begins to rise more to the surface. The atmospheric “Reflection’ places bass-heavy hiphop beats beneath a treacherous backdrop of howling overdriven synth harmonics and shimmering melodic tones in a moment that’s curiously delicate and menacing at the same time, in many ways calling to mind the psychedelic rush of Mush labelmate Caural’s recent Mirrors For Eyes collection.
The second Rarities disc drawn from Ranson’ previous compilation appearances and digital-only releases as well as a smattering of previously unreleased tracks occupies similar sonic territory, with opener “Variant Of Option A’ fusing a backdrop of crunchy downbeat IDM beats with rippling, reverb-heavy synth accents and foreboding bass pads. Cosmic-sounding ambient offering “Earth Algorithm’ certainly wouldn’ have sounded out of place on BOC’s A Beautiful Place In The Country collection, with blurred wistful analogue synths tracing a gauzy path over spidery-sounding, steel-spring breakbeats, the jagged edges beautifully counterpointing the woozy haze conjured up by the myriad layers of harmonics. While much of this collection perhaps doesn’t immediately “grab you by the throat’s per se on first hearing, subsequent repeated listening soon pays off, with EPs & Rarities proving something of a grower – indeed, I repeatedly found myself discovering new details each time through. Fans of the likes of Boards Of Canada, Boom Bip and Highpoint Lowlife’s own Marshall Watson should invariably find much to like here.
Chris Downton
