This one is a real treat for ambient fans. Best listened to on an overcast midsummer day, this album sounds like a living, breathing forest. Pop features real nature samples recorded in Germany, and simply put, is a unique experience.
Picture yourself going for a walk in unfamiliar neighborhood and accidentally stumbling into a lush, wooded glen. You could turn around and head back the way you came, or, you could go deeper. Pop’s opening track ‘1’ feels like this forest revealing its most picturesque side to you, with sunlight pouring down and birds chirping. You can hear snow melt runoff from the mountains streaming in and gurgling about, bringing life force to all the plants and animals that live within the wooded walls of this forest. The “crispness” of the field recordings really immerses the listener here.
“So you’re still here are you?” Track 2 seems to say. It sounds like Track 1 but as though a shimmering, metallic veneer were placed over it. Track 2 sacrifices the golden sunlit ecstasy of Track 1 for a smoother, more contemplative feel.
Track 3 is where things start to take a turn for the moody. A faint pulse keeps pace throughout the song, letting you know that you are getting closer to the heart of the forest. You have no idea what you’ll find when you get there, but the tone connotes that it’s something you have never seen before.
Track 4 sports a minimalist techno beat and will be an unexpected but welcome change of pace for many first time listeners. The juxtaposition of what sounds like a smith rhythmically hammering his anvil and your previous exposure to an encompassing nature setting feels different but not out of place.
Oh man… you’re lost. Wait maybe this is the wa–nope just kidding. Track 5 is so hypnotic that every time you think you’re heading down the right path, the tone shifts down and the path splits into darker territory. The album’s initial exultation is now a distant memory. This song basically consists of two notes, two synth keys alternating back in forth for what seems like an eternity, still expertly crafted. Fans of William Basinski’s “Disintegration Loops” will feel right at home on this one.
Track 6 is a weak point in the album but provides a necessary set up for the next and final track. In the right setting this track could probably have its moment but as it is, the listener might have a hard time distinguishing anything but an oppressive overtone throughout the song.
Ah you made it. The prize at the end of your journey: Track 7. The thumping bass. The sweeping saws. Truly a masterpiece of minimalist techno, you might be surprised to find yourself bobbing your head after having basked for so long in the ambience of the earlier tracks. While domineering industrial sounds carry the weight on this one, the track still feels like a natural summary and conclusion of Pop.
An unexpectedly successful pairing of industrial and natural sound create a listening experience akin to exploring that forest you have always driven by but never had the time to check out until now. Pop isn’t an every-day-of-the-week kind of album but it can really catch you at the right time and make you appreciate life’s beauty and, boy, what I would give to listen to it for the first time again.
Electronique Critique 