The label Spectrum Spools is today known for enriching its profile with every release by adding a new form of experimental synthesizer music. The turns, which Emeralds John Elliott Releae’s label makes for Release are diverse, often unpredictable, but they have never left the hermetic circle of nerdy academics. »Parthenon«, though, is a very hands-on, but weird pop album. No surprise, as behind Plvs Vltra stands Toko Yasuda, member of Blonde Redhead, Enon or The Lapse and therefore someone who got to know the pop business in the last 20 years from all points of view. »Parthenon« draws the best of all conclusions from the last 30 years of pop history and interweaves samples of sounds, drivine bass and melodies to a tight patchwork. And it’s not afraid of Noise and Experiment. The highlight is the track »Parthenon«, giving the title to the album, which combines Reggae Groove, New-Wave-coolness, James-Chance-Saxophone and the exuberance of Gang Gang Dance and ends with a perfectly set sample. But there’s a lot of beauty in tracks like »Sweet Tooth« and its Black-Dice-bubbling, the retro design of »Yume«, which reminds of Ariel Pink, the MPC-study »Birthday Party« or »Like Spice«, which combines Shackleton and Animal Collective in thought. I don’t want to decide today whether some melodies here are too cheesy for me. I might just enjoy this accostable music until I do.
Parthenon
