Customer Reviews

Serial Hodgepodge

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lusine has had several albums, but this is his first for Ghostly. The title is very telling, as Lusine dabbles in different styles throughout the album, such as techno, hip-hop, and ambient. Some of the tracks jump out at you right away, while others gently fade into the background and become the soundtrack to your life. But there are no jarring switches, it is all done with finesse and flow. Lusine knows a thing or two about craftsmanship. Very intricate stuff. You might have heard some of it if you watch "CSI" on TV. The more times you listen to this CD, the more things you notice. Recommended if you like Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Luomo, Prefuse 73, or Sutekh.

If you're interested in a FRESH sound, (and you enjoy ambient/electro-chill-groove) then by all means you must check this out. I saw him with Dabrye in his hometown of Seattle, and was entranced by his elegant beat work and deep atmospherics. His subtle sensibilities are an amazing joy to experience; headphones, or in a club...this stuff is on the edge of an elevated sound. Lusine is breaking new ground here in my opinion, fusing electro-genres into more depths of intelligence and psychedelia of subtle trances which leave the listener at peace chillin in the world of Serial Hodgepodge...

For Ghostly International, Lusine has produced this effort which combines his recent interests in house and breakbeat with his long standing involvement in experimental electronic music. While albums like Iron City showed his ability to explore a singular-minded noodley ambience within various soundscapes (such as finding music to fit the underbelly of a highly industrialized city), Serial Hodgepodge finds Lusine experimenting with variations in related aesthetics within a singular soundscape-- the dancefloor. There are fantastic house and breaks outtings that fit nicely into any dj set that seeks to shine; there are also some interestingly sinister ambient tracks. However, for all his experimentation in the 4/4 beat pattern, Lusine never goes beyond it to explore as Burn Friedman & Jaki Liebzeit might the less well traversed beat patterns at the fringes of western musical culture. The ambient tracks that have filled his previous albums are now rellegated to filler between dance tunes, and some of the dance tunes spend more time waiting for the next track to begin than proving that they are worth listening to themselves. There is some coherence in the tracklist (langorous opening tune, dance number, dance number, ambient cool down, repeat), but the coherence is too overt. Serial Hodgepodge is fun and more exciting than most IDM artists' efforts at a populist album, but it lacks the nuance Lusine is blessed with having in his previous compositions, and it's simply too long. It would have been much more potent and fresh if it were cut down to a five or six track EP. Let's hope now that Lusine's pop feet are wet, so to speak, that he'll take his new pop aesthetic into less charted territories on his next album.

Often times techno can be cold and uninviting. By its vary nature it's minimal and takes a while before new listeners really enjoy it. L'Usine seems to have the solution: melody. Super-minimalists like Plastikman and Audion have their place, but it's so difficult for anyone who isn't a fan to enjoy that they often get overlooked. Viewed in contradistinction, L'usine is practically tuneful. Although it may still be too minimal for some, it will definitely appeal to a wide audience of electronic music fans.

Besides the refreshing presence of harmony, the beats are the real focus. L'usine always delivers in the department. They often have the same 16th note shuffle that we hear so frequently from Matthew Dear, but with their own edge, due in part to L'usine's IDM heritage. The percussive sounds come in two varieties: cool, crisp, and tight; and strange, organic-sounding rhythmic samples. Together they blend into delightful confection that practically forces you to groove along with it.

I recommend this very highly. "Serial Hodgepodge" has the crossover appeal of techno with IDM and it's clearly made for listening. The rich sound world easily holds one's interest for it's 54-minute duration. Most any electronic music fan would do well to add this to their collection.

Abstract and proud, Lusine's SERIAL HODGEPODGE wears its credentials on its sleeve, from the torn-up female vocals and melodic underpinnings on "Ask You" to the crispness of "Slur." "Drip" sounds like a lost Tim Hecker track, however, while "The Drop" edges into Akufen-like house rhythms. And, as if just to prove he could do it, he moves to downtempo on the gentle "Everything Under the Sun." Though the tracks show sharp production values, they can be sterile at times; for instance, "Falling In" is smart and danceable, but also cold. "Auto Pilot" is slightly warmer, while "Figment" is slightly choppier. The final track, "Payne's Gray," takes a completely abstract route, with a cello cutting in and out. Doubtless, there's an eclectic quality to these tracks, showing a great range of imagination and ability. But a more concrete vision to link the tracks together as an album would also be welcome.

he is one of the most talented minds in electronic music today. this cd is outstanding. i have been a big fan of lusine and ghostly for a long time, but this cd blew my expectations away even more than i expected it too. easily one of the best cds ive heard in recent years... id give it a 6 out of 5 if that was possible. definately pick it up, i dont think anyone would be disappointed by this one 8)

Lusine's "Serial Hodgepodge" is a strong effort by this industry veteran - I would say that this album is better than this year's other great electronica album - Proem's "Socially Inept". Every song is very interesting if it isn't catchy, and this certainly helps, especially in this genre. The "instrumentation" (or should I say "electronicization"?) is very very good. There really aren't any bad songs on this album, just ones that are good and ones that are better (unlike "Socially Inept" which was pretty uneven. My personal favorite track is "Everything Under The Sun"). Most of it's also pretty dancable (falls under IDM (intelligent dance music), I'd say). If you liked Proem's album or if you're a fan of elecronica, really, then you'll most likely love this album (it's very similar to "Socially Inept", except that one has absolutely no vocal sampling). Highly recommended!

Highlights include:
the entire album ("Falling In" is arguably the weakest)

Jeff McIlwain's been busy the last couple of years. His last album, Iron City, was inconsistent, but when it was good, it was incredible. He's got a unique sound, which is saying alot in this genre. The music was varied and often unpredictable, and the arrangements were original and airtight. Last year, he released Condensed, a well-sequenced singles compilation which was just as good. Needless to say, I had high hopes for this.

I'm not saying it's bad; it's just that there's nothing here you won't hear on the other two records. Many of the pieces are bland and formulaic, and often, once you've heard the first 30 seconds, you've heard the whole thing.

Judged on its own merits, though, this is much better than most of the IDM being released these days. There's no "concept" to sell, no gimmicry, and none of the unlistenable claptrap that passes for "intellectual." It's a solid album with a unique palette that sits just a bit left of the mainstream. It's just that I expected better given his previous work.