Globular - Holobiont

[antic604]

 

Track list:

 

1. Tabula Rasa

2. Emergent Resurgence

3. [42]

4. An Upwards Curve In The Horizon

5. ...And It Speaks Of Everything

6. The Might Of Chondria

7. Overcoming Occhiolism

8. Temple Of The Pollinator

 

Review:

 

If I wanted to sound cheeky, I’d say that Morison Bennett’s double-t in his last name is a rip-off of Ott’s name, just like his music is... which wouldn’t be neither fair or accurate. It’s not accurate, because his sound is clearly influenced not only by Ott, but also by Shpongle & Younger Brother, by releases from Dubmission Records, Liquid Sound Design and probably countless others I have no idea about. It’s not fair, because all music is to some extent ‘derivative’, either with regards to fitting into certain style or genre, using same / similar instruments and ultimately down to the fact that there’s only 12 notes in musical octave What is important though, is the ability to draw from other sources in a creative manner, adding enough of your own ingredients to sound sufficiently distinct – and Globular sure does just that!

 

“Holobiont” is his 3rd full length album and 2nd self-released as physical CD. In terms of style, I’d describe it as ethnic-influenced psychedelic electronic dub, which basically is self-explanatory: the tracks range from slow, deep and hypnotic to more energetic, almost danceable, with all of them being full of big & small sound tricks, flowing acid lines, percussive effects, glitches and synthetic soundscapes combined expertly with heavily processed oriental (for European ) voice samples / chants and real instruments: sitar, acoustic guitar, flutes. Compared to Globular’s previous “Magnitudes of Order”, this new one seems more laid back, more meditative and restrained to the point that it’s somehow less impressive / flashy, at least at the beginning. As usual with music like this, repeated listening sessions reveal hidden depths beneath the surface – nuances that one can only hear on headphones or when played very loudly, when you’re “in the zone”: certain harmonic progressions, sound patterns, delicate effect work, etc. To each his own, but personally I love music like that because it increases its longevity, trading it for lesser immediate appeal.

 

To go track by track, I’d say it is a pretty even release, with some down points being chanting in – otherwise fantastic – “Emergent Resurgence” and “[42]” and slightly pointless, beatless “…And It Speaks of Everything”. On the upside, both slower tracks “Tabula Rasa” and “Temple of The Pollinator” are awesome, combining deep dubby basslines with live instruments, tactful singing and interesting musical ideas, while the more upbeat tracks (“An Upward Curve In the Horizon”, “The Might of Chondria” and “Overcoming Occhiolism”) merge the elements of psychedelic trance: more electronic basslines, acid sounds, heavy percussive effects. It’s all further emphasized by dynamic, spacious and very well balanced mastering by Colin OOOD.

 

In the end, I’d rate this on par with “Magnitudes of Order”, i.e. around 4 or even 4.5 out of 5, but only because there needs to be some difference between this and genre-defining, 5/5 albums like Younger Brother’s “A Flock of Bleeps” or Ott’s “Skylon”. Either way, do yourself a favour and go get it right now – it’s pay-what-you-want (so, in border case: free) for digital version and just 7GBP + postage for digipak CD.

 

Buy it here: http://globular.bandcamp.com

[Richpa]

For me Globular (in some downtempo/psychedelic chillout) is something like Cybernetika (is for uptempo/drum'n'bass psy), always deliver something interesting and worthy of checking out. I'm linking this new record and I hope he will get more attention because so far he never let me down when it comes to some expectations. Highly recommended.

[BraneFreeze]

I'm still digesting the album, but so far I don't like it as much as his earlier music. I could do without the chanting and voice samples. However, maybe this album is more of a transitional work and we should withhold judgement until we hear the next album. He's got a pretty good track record so far, so I'm willing to keep listening to see how his music evolves.

[Trance2MoveU]

The detailed and lush breaks make this a worthwhile listen as does the rich instrumentality.