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Artridge – Butterfly Wing Theory – Part 1 (Think Tank)

Artridge - Butterfly Wing Theory - Part 1 (Think Tank)

CD, Interlink Audio, 2008
www.artridge.org

Subtitled “Think Tank”, “Butterfly Theory Part 1” is a wonderfully experimental affair that toys around with varying degrees of elements from natural sound sources to full instruments to programming, more often than not all in the space of one track.
Take track two “Halo”. This is beautifully composed and casually layered with orchestral instrumentation, jazz percussion like structures and soaring progressive rock guitars, each holding their own and not drowning out their counterparts in the process. It’s an eclectic mix but ultimately gracious and dripping with raw, unbridled emotion rivalling that only attained by the upper echelons of IDM circles, yet all patched together with natural instrumentation.
Elements of surf guitar glide along through a couple of numbers and is so utterly slick leaving you in no doubt that they are probably one of the coolest acts you could listen to right now. There is simply nothing this lot couldn’t turn their hands to using this album as evidence. Ambient elements, rock sensibilities, no stone is left unturned and this really has something for any fan of post-industrial, progressive rock and rivals anything currently turning the boards in Intelligent Dance Music circles, with ease.
It would be easy to dismiss a lot of this album if you don’t give it the time it deserves. Without a doubt a lot of the journey rates as some of the strangest listening I have come across, and yes it can be a little pretentious at times, but that is all part of its charm. I mean come on, who sets themselves up as ‘Contemporary Progressive Post-Industrial Chamber Music’ or more ludicrously, ‘Instrumental Electromagnetic Unkraut Rock’? No one apart from this lot and to be fair they couldn’t have nailed it more on the head (well, sort of).

[9/10]

— Tony Young

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