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Kilowatts – Routes

Kilowatts - Routes

CD, Artificial Music Machine, 2006
www.kilowattsmusic.com

Kilowatts previous release “Problem/Solving” featured in my top 10 of 2005 – yes it really was that good. I was very much looking forward to Kilowatts next release and I think I was right in doing so. “Routes” is stunning!
Jamie Watts, alias Kilowatts, has also worked with Vanek (which resulted in “Rawq”, another album highly recommended album), Marcia Blaine School For Girls and The Wideband Network, his music filling a very pleasant void somewhere between pop and IDM. This is IDM with structure and a keen melody. Not all glitches and bleeps, like a lot of electronica/IDM tends towards, with each track being a song in its own right, thus creating an album that flows amazingly well.
“Routes” differs from its predecessor in being a lot less introspective but doesn’t lose anything for being so. It is much more upbeat, flows better and you literally can’t pick out one track – the album is best appreciated by listening to the whole album in one go. Although, if I had to choose any stand out tracks, then these would be “Learn to Love Loneliness”, “Eastward” and “Theologue (Search)” – but those are hard to pick out.
There is some Ulrich Schnauss influence in this, from what I can hear, but otherwise this is original, unlike anything anyone else is doing at the moment. “Routes” really is a work of beauty that every electronic/IDM fan simply must own, and for the first time in my reviewing ‘career’ I can only give a perfect score. Essential listening.

[10/10]

— Kate Turgoose

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