Available on: Raster-Noton LP

‘Multistability 2-A’

As snd, Mark Fell and his collaborator Matt Steel have over a decade of releases to their name, deconstructing the smallest fragments of garage, Chicago house and Detroit techno. The pair have patiently evolved their sound, from humble beginnings in subtleties of repetition, rhythmic interplay and adjustments of detail, into a wild subgenre of super-textural music that is quite simply unique. Multistability is a continuation of the pair’s strikingly beautiful aesthetic, this time applying Fell’s own self interests of further stripped down material and a more conceptual approach to composition.

The release is described as an exploration of rhythmic and thematic ambiguity, its contents actually presented twice as two different versions of the same source material. A useful comparison sited by Raster-Noton is the Necker cube – the unsolvable uncertainty that comes from looking at a wireframe cube and trying to decide which way it is facing. The results of this give the record a slightly obtuse structure; although presented in a particular track arrangement, as a long-player it is not always convincing in the way it moves between material. To treat it as abrupt chapters, even playing partnering tracks as pairs in comparison, may be a more rewarding experience for some.

Sonically, the hallmarks of snd are present – hyper-clean digital synthesis paired with analogue percussion, manipulated through extremes of computer timing, sparkling with pristine mixing and mastering. The result is often similar for the ear what sunlight flashing quickly between tree branches is to the eye. What makes the album inherently exciting, however, is the new timbral territory explored by Fell: ‘Multistability 6-B’ provides flutters of thick synth flutes and piccolos with whirring hit hats; ‘Multistability 7-A’ is a rotating and stuttering square wave riff with claps, heavily reminiscent of grime; ‘Multistability 1-B’ introduces thick, soft Detroit horn woofing over a typical snd stutter. There are also unmistakable tinges and blurs of Fell’s explorations of previous work: ‘Multistability 2-A’ whips as a fight between growling resonant distortion and crystaline harmonic rhodes sweeps; ‘Multistability 9’ is an extended drum solo of splashing partials; ‘Multistability 10-B’ a cyclic, string-plucked, rotationally panned arpeggiation at breakneck speed.

At times, however, this brilliant content is made frustrating in Fell’s refusal to deviate from his singular path. Sometimes the material is far too long, sometimes too short, or amazing potential left inexplicably undeveloped. Although Multistability is simply two sets of outcomes from one starting point, Fell’s way of steering us through them can feel restrictive, occasionally misjudged. However, possessing genuine, dazzling originality, this record is highly recommended listening.

Steve Shaw