Note : ++

http://www.myspace.com/benevavsclarknova

At the end of 2007 we reviewed a 3” CD teaser from this duo, the two-part ambient adventure of Flotsam/Jetsam. The mini-EP served as the opening of Fenêtre’s new 3” series, but also as a teaser heralding the imminent release of Beneva v Clark Nova’s debut album, Sombunall.

Now it’s here, and wow, what a tour-de-force of new, refreshing sounds. Beneva and Clark Nova, Frank B. Finger and Rudi Simmons hidden behind their artist monikers, are productive and highly versatile musicians, and on Sombunall they demonstrate their grasp of various genres within electronica, swerving between styles to make an entertaining record to listen to that never lets go of your attention, it has highs, lows and intermission-like passages, both ambient sequences to lull you gently towards sleep, but then they slap your face with stuttery, fun rhythms, from ventures into something nearly breakcore-like but also more leftfield and downtempo melodies. Many tracks have a lot of vocal focus, both the rasp voice of one of the guys themselves perhaps, but also the inclusion of lovely, soulful female vocals belonging to upcoming Norwegian talent, Therese Aune. And as we’ve heard before, here are sampled elements and field recordings a-plenty, the programming is ace, beats are frenzic, chords both liquid and broken, and it all sounds crisp as heck!

One of my personal highlights comes on “Suppose She Was Telepathic”; a stuttery rhythmic beat accompanied by a lovely melody based around guitar and gentle bleeps and accordion-like sounds. There’s little distance between the highlights on the record though, and from the third last song with the fabulous title, “Two Men Being Hospitalised When Only One Had To” and out, the album goes from strength to strength. The song in question, a bit like wild western meets crazed, broken Japanese-sounding vocals with fragmented, reverberated guitar chords, and then we’re off into Squarepusher-land as “Poligraph Poligraphikov” goes off the hook with its high-paced, catchy melody of stuttered, guitar strums fading in and out over a frantic drum beat, and we end on “Nothing, Only Worthwhile” with its repetitive guitar strums over a shimmering synth lead that promise of something uplifting to come.. but we’ve just been through something uplifting over the course of the last 12 tracks, so I already feel fine.

For fans of music like Four Tet, Squarepusher, Autechre, Plaid, Beneva v Clark Nova should become a household name after this, we think!

by trym
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Origine du Groupe : Norvegia
Style : Electro , Glitch
Sortie : 2008

Tracklist :
1. I'm Twins (The Babies Said)
2. 88 Kilos of Excrement
3. His Freefloating Affection (feat. Therese Aune)
4. Institute Benjamenta
5. Thora's Inferno
6. With Love, Etc. (feat. Therese Aune)
7. Suppose She Was Telepathic
8. Social Wrist-Twistings
9. Lazy, But Comfortable Size
10. Two Men Being Hospitalized When Only One Had to Be
11. Poligraph Polygraphikov
12. Nothing, Only Worthwhile