Paperclip Minimiser
II
Peak Oil
In a head-spinning blizzard of micro-glitch rhythms, precision-wobbled bass and glassy textures, John Howes revives his Paperclip Minimiser project for a second outing on Peak Oil. Brian Foote’s label continues to set the bar for detailed, dubby techno at the introspective end of the spectrum, and Howes’ work is a perfect manifestation of this principle—a hood-up, headphones-on sound to get lost in while the modern world flickers past at a relentless pace.
There is plenty of strident weight in these seven productions that could be deployed in a club setting. The mean bass on “A2” is as dynamic as it is heavy, and is surely chunky enough to inspire a screwface or two, while “B1” has a dancehall swagger and skilful wobble that would sound huge blasting out a proper system. But these qualities almost feel incidental, as Howes’ incredibly spacious, even delicate, mixes allow every fine slither of sound to make a mark, never resorting to brick-wall tactics. If you put on II after listening to a more heavily compressed modern production, you might find yourself reaching to push up the volume a touch, and that’s no bad thing in a world saturated with noise.
The Paperclip Minimiser sound taps into a listening experience that tracks back to the early days of electronica, when technicality was often an intrinsic aspect of the creative and emotional expression in the music. The moods are abstract by design, but the constantly modulating, mesmerizing dexterity of every pop, click and shimmer says everything that’s needed. Hidden pathways reveal themselves with each successive listen, as these non-linear works unfold like origami deconstructing in slow motion. It might not be emotive like a soul-stirring house anthem or yearning orchestral suite, but the patience and presence that a sonic trip like II inspires is just as profound.
 | A guest post by
|