Posted on: November 28, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Starting out with an electric beat reminiscent of the typical Amp-fare of the mid to late nineties, Null Objct takes influence from Squarepusher and Plastikman and mixes it with rock, in a way that is molded by and surpasses Fatboy Slim. Opening “The Blind Clockmaker” with a track the works in Dick Dale-style surf guitars to what can only be described as a late eighties cop drama’s them, “False Positive” is a mini-epic with a reasonable runtime (5:26). In a much more accessible vein, “Comes Down From There” would work its magic as well on Clearchannel radio as on any type of future-set video game: Gary approaches each track in a rapidly different way from those pre and proceeding it, and it is through this continual desire to experiment that the allure of “The Blind Clockmaker” is shown. “Turn Inward” is beyond fitting for a name, as Gary allows this very sedate and enervated track to come unfettered to the listener. As such, I’m not sure how the track will affect the average listener, as it is essentially one big inside thing.

The follow-up track to “Turn Inward”, ”Dumb Shogun” is uncharacteristically dense and lacks the welcoming nature that the rest of the tracks that “The Blind Clockmaker” has. Moving more into the Spartan wastelands with “Amsterdamage”, Gary shows eir talent as ey can draw what is essentially a silent track into an all-encompassing experience, brought to climax by a number of solid guitar-licks. Topping the scales at 10:04 is the penultimate track(s) “Angry Ton / Are You Unhappy?”, a track that bristles with electricity just as much as “False Positive” did when the latter opened up the disc. There are a few changes in the tempo and the direction of the track that stress the listener’s patience, but Gary is cognoscent enough to craft the track in a way in which the momentary lapses in instrumentation bolster what immediately follows.

Null Objct’s best application is after dropping a tab or robo-tripping. To earnestly dissect Gary’s music would be to see levels of intricacy that are light-years beyond anything comparable. Taking cues from so many genres and influences, Gary is able to create something that is both accessible to the widest range of listeners and never once steps into a rut or never delivers the finest possible music. One may not find Null Objct’s CD on the shelves, but it wouldn’t hurt searching out this disc.

Rating: 6.5/10

Null Objct – The Blind Clockmaker / 2004 Community:Null Music / http://www.nullobjct.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 06 January 2005

Top Tracks: False Positive, Come Down From There

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