Adelaide-based producer Tim Koch is likely to be a familiar name to those with listening habits leaning towards the more IDM-oriented end of the electronic music spectrum. While he originally studied for four years at the University Of Adelaide’ EMU music technology unit, Koch has spent much of the preceding decade actively releasing music under a variety of different monikers, including Thug, 8-Bit Orchestra and his given name on labels including n5MD and Defocus, in addition to running his own Surgery label (home to stunning albums from artists such as Epoq). Originally released through the US-based Merck label early last year prior to that label announcing that it was halting its operations and selling off its remaining stock, this fifth album in total from Koch under his given name, Faena is now receiving a much due re-release, and sees Koch attempting to distill and refine the various elements that have featured amongst all of his previous releases, whilst also drawing on a broader palette that includes acoustic guitars, female vocals and found sounds.
From almost the very outset, there’s certainly an intangibly familiar atmosphere present amongst the 17 tracks collected here that supports Koch’s claims of emphasis upon cohesion with his preceding work. Opening track ‘Introduct’ begins proceedings on a delicate note, with fluttering rhythmic pulses forming a deeply textured backdrop for rippling, opaque melodic pads, before more sharply-focus glitchy electronic sounds begin to emerge from the lazy fog beneath. While the dreamlike “Groove 90′ sees this lulling aesthetic extended to take what sounds like the distant sound of sampled party conversation ebbing against clattering near-hip-hop rhythms as blurred-out synth pads glide over the top in a manner vaguely reminiscent of BOC’ pastoral electronics, ‘Ellermanstraat’ sees Koch flexing his muscle more, as coiled metallic rhythms scratch and arc against the background melody of a female vocal sample so heavily treated that it appears to morph at points from being a tortured-sounding human to its more human counterpart. “Blue And Grey’ meanwhile presents one of this collection’s most lushly jazz-informed offerings as well as one of Koch’ more overt experiments with vocal textures, as angelic female backing harmonies arc against clicking polyrhythms and brooding bass pads, and delicately plucked acoustic guitars provide the melodic icing on the cake. While Faena doesn’t perhaps see Koch significantly expanding upon the IDM sub-genre, it’s easily one of his most cohesive-sounding (and indeed, immediately accessible) album offerings amongst his sizable discography to date. Koch fans should be delighted by what’s on offer here, whilst they also lament the sad (but by all acccounts, self-activated) demise of the Merck label.
Chris Downton
