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Review: 'SPC ECO'
'Anomalies'   

-  Label: 'Saint Marie Records'
-  Genre: 'Ambient' -  Release Date: '19th August 2016'-  Catalogue No: 'SMR100'

Our Rating:
According to the press release for the latest Spc Eco album, their previous LP Dark Matter was greeted by ecstatic reviews. Well I know mine wasn't all that ecstatic and I felt it was a bit of a let down, mainly due to over use of Auto tune so this time round I was a bit hesitant about what to expect.

I needn't have worried as they have dialled back the Auto tune so that Rose Berlin's vocals are nice and clear. Yes they have been treated but you can hear she is actually singing very nicely.

The opener Out Of My System is a nicely claustrophobic beats and synth-assisted ambient dance track that just bridges the Chill out room meets slow jam room vibe nicely.

Incomplete is much more dreamy with Portishead-style beats and dreamy ethereal vocals for you to cling to the one you love to. Dean Garcia (yes him out of Curve) adds all sorts of textural stuff that slowly reveals itself and it's very cool. Bare To Lie has heavy dub-by beats and almost spoken word vocals to begin with before Rose's lead vocal pitches in and the sad tale unfolds. Musically, for me, it's about the sounds swirling around the beats that add tone and atmosphere.

Your Own Way starts off slow and quiet with very gently manipulated vocals. It's as if Enya had gone minimal techno as the song begins to build and it sounds more like it could be a St Etienne renovation job. Silent Maybe has what almost sounds like guitars firing off over the ambient minimal techno. As it builds and falls, these (and some great computer derived sound) align and it is just a very cool sounding song.

Think Twice slows things down to a Faithless-style crawl with a weird digital handclap sound jarring a bit with the beautiful vocals. It's not so jarring it stops things being interesting, however. Revived is also slow and measured and kind of regretful over some very slow beats.

All In Time picks the pace up a bit and adds some squelchy noises with some warbling noises taking over the vocals before Rose really starts to sing but it's still a pretty laid back and chill-out dreamscape type of thing.

The album closes with the very slow and at times barely there Lost In A Crowd. This just sort of floats away on a very gently flowing stream of barely discernible synths and very carefully sung vocals.

This album is a real leap forward from Dark Matter as far as I'm concerned and it reminds me of why I loved them live the only time I've seen them so far.


Find out more at Spc Eco online

St.Marie Records online

  author: simonovitch

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SPC ECO - Anomalies