Ekoplekz – Unfidelity
Artist trajectories can be a curious thing to observe, often sorting the wheat from the chaff between those with a sonic identity in constant development and those suffering knee jerk reactions to trends and hype. Nick Edwards certainly exists in the former camp, and his latest album as Ekoplekz is a fine case in point. The signs were already there with the likes of his Plekzationz LP on Editions Mego, which saw his grimy nightmare-dub calling card peppered with occasional blasts of light (read: melodic tones). Still though, the focus was on atonal pulses, echoes and reverbs of a distinctly obtuse nature, as has been his artistic raison d’etre since the word go.
This LP for Planet Mu is a step forwards in that there are more discernible forms wrangled out of the analogue trenches in which his sound resides, while at times there are some truly sweet-natured melodic moments to be enjoyed. While the earlier Ekoplekz material was always compelling listening, it sometimes came loaded with a sense of impenetrability, and yet here there are a lot more footholds from which to imbibe his peculiar cocktail. It is stated that Mike Paradinas had a hand in coaxing these qualities out of potential works for the album, and let it be said that it was a worthwhile A&R endeavour on his part.
There’s an actual chord progression at the heart of album opener “Trace Elements”, not to mention high-frequency harmonising sines that marry themselves neatly to the distorted percussive core of the track. It’s an engaging listen that sports plenty of that distinctive Ekoplekz character whilst shedding a fresh perspective on the proceedings. “Robert Rental” meanwhile hinges on a loping time signature made up of a warm, fuzzy bassline and strained string notes filtered through the pre-requisite mound of dirt, coming out the other side in an emotive haze of downtempo electronica. “Severn Beach” meanwhile sports a coldwave sense of direction that stays on course for the whole eight minutes, letting an unmistakable sense of optimism float over the track through the uncharacteristically upbeat choice of notes that make up the looping refrain of the track.
There are still more typical Ekoplekz moments on the LP, from the alien techno thrum of “Nerve Beacon” to the dub-filled lagoon of experimentation that is “Coalpit Heath”, but these instances possibly demonstrate where Edwards has moved on more than anything more accessible. With his lo-fi identity untainted (or should we say unpolished), he has exercised a greater control over the ingredients in his music and in doing so offered up an album that seems to capitalise on the best his unique approach has to offer.
It seems fair to say that existing fans won’t be disappointed by Unfidelity, while those unsure in the past may well be converted. Any listeners discovering Ekoplekz for the first time may well be sold rather quickly when they can lock into the palpitating electro dub of “Pressure Level” without needing to adjust their mental parameters to any great extent. It’s exactly the kind of progression an artist should hope for as their sound matures, evolves and mutates, following the logical thread that has come before and expanding on it to make something greater.
Oli Warwick
Tracklisting:
1. Trace Elements
2. Nerva Beacon
3. Robert Rental
4. Severn Beach
5. Sea 90
6. Unfidelity
7. Coalpit Heath
8. Pressure Level
9. Analogue Twitch
10. Tuning Out
11. Sleng Zen