Point Loma: Forneo

Organizing principles can be an elusive goal for much of electronic and ambient music. Many releases are so organic in their construction that the results become entirely reliant on the articulation of style over all other factors. Structure can be derived from counts, from specific frequency ranges as opposed to specific pitches, from durations, from processing and reprocessing, from random or arbitrary or deliberate systems. Point Loma offers us a reminder, perhaps indirectly, about a simpler and more direct approach: the use and reuse of a phrase.

In this case, a rhythm pattern that is found on all six tracks and restated, reprocessed and repositioned to create what Eno used to term a spine. For anyone who remembers that idea, or the Pop Art sensibility of Neu!, with their dogged loyalty to the same simple 4/4 drum pattern no matter what it was that they were trying to play on top, this beautifully expedient technique provides instant, interesting unity while at the same time generating a sort of self-referential variety.

Forneo's main pattern is dressed up in any number of ways, but mostly with elements adhering to abstraction and sonic palettes free of literal musical inflection. With a little more organization, the top layers could have played out an analogous though more discreet set of variations on their own, adding some depth for active listening. As it stands, the pieces seem best suited to passive though somewhat agitated listening, as the six topcoats seem to again revert to a kind of purely organic, feels good to me doctrine. Nice enough stuff, but with a more interesting and apparently latent potential to achieve more profound levels of organization.

Track Listing
1) Activity
2) Verbacion
3) National City
4) Yosey
5) Met Out
6) El Paso

Added: January 2nd 2007
Reviewer: Kerry Leimer
Score:
Related Link: More Information
Hits: 2890
Language: english

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