It's been a while since we've heard from Dan Snaith's Daphni alias. "Cherry" arrives in splendid form, showing the producer in a relaxed and creative form - one that finds him allowing the machines to take a life of their own; tamed slightly by his subtle direction and wise interventions.
There's always been a kind of cross pollination between the organic and synthesized in Dan's work; whether it’s the manipulations of some quirky vocal snatch; the live drums contrasting with buzzing synthlines; it's that pursuit of humanoid expression that's kept us coming back for more and more from this dynamic and innovative producer. Working quickly and with new equipment, tracks spontaneously took a life of their own before Daphni worked to curtail them back to his own requirements - 'getting a snake to eat its own tale' as he puts it.
The perfect balance of club musics' forward expression and the infectious pop sensibilities carried by luminaries like Four Tet and Caribou; there's a charged energy to opening tracks "Arrow" and "Cherry" before the dazzlingly future-exotica-cum-club-banger "Always There" closes off side A with Balkanesque melodies and reversed synth fractals.
A soundscape of advanced synth sequencing and emotional response follows, opening the B-side in grandiose form before a phazed and filtered hook from a well known boogie track throws us into the Daphni tumble drier - blasting us next with squelchy jack beats on "Mania" and a ramped up modern French house hybrid "Take Two".
Side C contains three certifiable club tracks, stylishly dipping into strobe-lit house and techno. Meanwhile a swirl of discordance surrounds side D's opening track "Karplus" before "Amber" stutters and jerks; Daphni's subtle yet noticeable audioprint present and correct right till the end of the album. "Fly Away Concludes" in suitably ascending and epic fashion, a rocket blast to the outer galaxies courtesy of our faithful star commander. It's one hell of a double disc ride - constantly keeping us on our toes and gleaming into the future. Another triumph from this Canadian treasure.
There's always been a kind of cross pollination between the organic and synthesized in Dan's work; whether it’s the manipulations of some quirky vocal snatch; the live drums contrasting with buzzing synthlines; it's that pursuit of humanoid expression that's kept us coming back for more and more from this dynamic and innovative producer. Working quickly and with new equipment, tracks spontaneously took a life of their own before Daphni worked to curtail them back to his own requirements - 'getting a snake to eat its own tale' as he puts it.
The perfect balance of club musics' forward expression and the infectious pop sensibilities carried by luminaries like Four Tet and Caribou; there's a charged energy to opening tracks "Arrow" and "Cherry" before the dazzlingly future-exotica-cum-club-banger "Always There" closes off side A with Balkanesque melodies and reversed synth fractals.
A soundscape of advanced synth sequencing and emotional response follows, opening the B-side in grandiose form before a phazed and filtered hook from a well known boogie track throws us into the Daphni tumble drier - blasting us next with squelchy jack beats on "Mania" and a ramped up modern French house hybrid "Take Two".
Side C contains three certifiable club tracks, stylishly dipping into strobe-lit house and techno. Meanwhile a swirl of discordance surrounds side D's opening track "Karplus" before "Amber" stutters and jerks; Daphni's subtle yet noticeable audioprint present and correct right till the end of the album. "Fly Away Concludes" in suitably ascending and epic fashion, a rocket blast to the outer galaxies courtesy of our faithful star commander. It's one hell of a double disc ride - constantly keeping us on our toes and gleaming into the future. Another triumph from this Canadian treasure.
TRACK LISTING
1/A1 Arrow 3.07
2/A2 Cherry 5.55
3/A3 Always There 3.41
4/B1 Crimson 2.54
5/B2 Arp Blocks 2.09
6/B3 Falling 1:12
7/B4 Mania 3:36
8/B5 Take Two 3:19
9/C1 Mona 2:51
10/C2 Clavicle 3:33
11/C3 Cloudy 6:51
12/D1 Karplus 1:48
13/D2 Amber 3:50
14/D3 Fly Away 2:54