The Ai label out of the UK has been rolling out quality electronica for a decade now and have marked the occasion with a collection of unreleased tracks. The label has flown under the radar (for me at least) but it seems they like it that way, with limited releases and keeping a tight rein on the music they send out into the world. It is an approach that values quality over quantity.
When I Was Ten starts with a fairly cheesy spoken intro that worryingly plants the seeds of apprehension. Thankfully all is well as Michael Manning’s ‘Fantasy’ is a lovely drifting piece of ambient dream-pop that meanders along with backward ripples and soothing synths. Most tracks are on the downbeat side, intent on creating mood and space rather than being dancefloor focused. Datasette have a foot in both fields with ‘Crawling Greens’. It builds a slowly weaving pattern of blips and soft static drones before improbably funky bass and percussion appear and propel the track for the last few minutes. Like being thrust into the daylight, blinking after having awoke from a deep sleep.
Variations on these styles pop up through the album. EOC take us on an electronic dub trip deep underground, Najem Sworb veer closest to a club sound with a tech house contribution and Pathic go old-school electro. FZV bring together a drum ‘n bass rhythm, dub house stabs and melodies which you think wouldn’t work but he mixes it up enough that something new is created.
When I Was Ten is a good cross section at the IDM end of the electronic music spectrum. Most of it is fresh, even when dabbling in past styles, though there is little that inspires enough to seek out other music from the contributing artists.
Chris Familton
