Aspects of Physics :: MIF1 Review
2005-02-01
RE:UP Magazine
Jason Soares and JRE “Robot” Coad now record music under the moniker Aspects of Physics and will release three albums over the next year or so under the heading Marginalized Information Forms. The first in the series is subtitled Ping – a relatively accurate description. However, the album defies categorization as Fennesz-esque glitch electronic music and instead strikes an impressive balance between ‘organic’ post-rock guitar melodies and heavily processed blips and beeps. Indeed, the natural and artificial instrumentation are so well bled together that one can’t place Ping in either genre.
While not intended for the dancefloor crowd, the intrigue here is that Ping has the intricacy to withstand detailed headphone listening, yet is seamless and melodic enough to be put in the background. The tracks all blend into each other, and the album plays as a whole, but each track is varied and unique. "Ping" itself is perhaps the standout cut. Running at almost ten minutes, it achieves epic status. A series of delicate synth lines suffer heavy digital damage before the intertwining guitar melodies eventually come to dominate the soundscape. “Plippus” is another example of how Aspects of Physics have the compositional skills to make a gorgeous, wintry soundtrack out of digital glitches and delicately strummed guitar.
“Reversevent” is perhaps the most intense, with the gasps of a heavily distorted guitar. “Scene of Changery” has an almost classical construction and puts together all of the themes on the album for a perfect closing track. Perhaps the title means it is also a transition to the next installment: Cumulative Editor. Until that one arrives in Spring 2005, enjoy Ping for not only its impressive arrangements, but for the fact that it is bonafide ear candy.
-Tom Aikin, RE:UP #006, Winter 2005
