Yao Guai

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• David Britton
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"Boo" starts this odd collection of ambient tracks from David Britton with what sounds like mechanical cicadas in the distance under the strains of a ukulele treated with an effect to sharpen its tone while trying to find a melody. Each song is an exercise in drones both ambient and rhythmic. "Goats" uses, yes, samples of goats vocalizing, but its harsh rhythm track is like something from the memory banks of Doktor Avalanche. When the minimalist, circular, distorted synth work kicks in, the result is as humorous as it is straight-out bizarre. If "Warble" is supposed to sound even abstractly birdlike, then the bird it's evoking is a mutant. Spooky yet playful, this dual release is the product of a restless creativity unafraid to look into dark corners.