Intelligent Design

A few quick words about Claro Intelecto's second album, 'Metanarrative'. Initially, I had listened to it once or twice when I first got it and it didn't really make much of an impression on me. I'm a big fan of Mark Stewart's 'Warehouse Sessions' series of records because they combine primal, jacking rhythms with ethereal electronic textures and dub techno nuances and yet they manage to make this seemingly disparate combination work on the dance floor. On 'Metanarrative', by contrast, Stewart's sound seemed fey and too understated, a somewhat wishy-washy accompaniment to the 'Warehouse' set. I have since changed my opinion, mainly because 'Metanarrative', like 'Warehouse', requires the listener to listen to it at high volumes (or in this instance as loud as a car stereo will allow). If anything, the album at first sounded underwhelming because Stewart's arrangements are almost too intricate, with the result that his intelligent design aesthetic went over a lot of people's heads, mine included. Left to play on repeat -  and I'd recommend 10 to 20 times before making a decision  - the album moves from deep house and languid dubby influences into more esoteric ambience, with the recent 'Dependant' single near the end sounding like a contemporary reference to Global Communications, and a nod to a time when techno producers actually made high-quality albums. It is short, at just eight tracks, but it represents a flip side to his dance floor material and Stewart's production values are as high as ever. It's also a brave move; after all, it would have been far easier to drop more 'Warehouse' releases, but Stewart, with the help of Modern Love, has opted to develop a coherent artist album. So, it's a mixture of the new, the old and the esoteric, delivered in a format that has been notably lacking in recent years - I might be late to recognise it, but I'm glad 'Metanarrative' didn't slip under the radar and into obscurity.

Comments

[b0b]

I just love this album since I got it like 2 weeks ago - best release of 08 for now. Can't stop listening to it. And I was drawn to it on first listen. It's subtle and intricate with lot attention on small details and more than all it's not generic or formulaic music like most of the released music is today. It's evident a lot of care has been put in the composition. Production values is fantastic: there's a lot of sub-bass yet it's never boomy and there's a lot of dynamics in the sounds used (ie not every sound is made as loud as possible). So it's loud and quiet at the same time.

[James]

I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail - but I'm happy to hear it might be worth the wait.

[PC/dysconnect]

As a child I used to squint at famous abstract impresssionist (and abstract/impresssionist) works in art galleries. Using this technique, I could manage to 'see' what I was unable to by simply looking.

I can't help but wonder if there's something like that going on with Metanarrative at the moment, like, 'Look, just *keep* listening, you'll understand eventually.' Point taken, and I'm trying at the moment, but I do feel that I'm squinting. Should I have to 'squint' to see/hear the artistry?

I have this niggling feeling that maybe, just maybe, it's actually just not very good. That it's a bit three star. Anyone?

[homeglobal]

then. even had wasn't at then. with a with my