Gel-Sol is Andrew Reichel, a producer based in Seattle, a city that has seen the flannel of early 90s slowly replaced by spacious electronica, as performed by folks like Heather Duby and Elemental. “Unifactor” is the follow-up to “1104”, the debut album put out by Em:t Records, and expands the premises of relaxed improvisation and luxurious ambience.
By adding a few new elements to the equation, Gel-Sol’s tone gets more complex and intricate. The watering effect in “Open Her” serves as a flashlight, warning the listener that what follows is a submerged experience. The album’s descrambled noises and disjointed voice fragments draw inevitable comparisons with Growing’s “The Sky’s Run Into the Sea” and Loscil’s “Submers” (two great records released by Kranky Records).
But as the polyphonic journey evolves, things get more anxious and agitated, as in the darkly-chilled “Brontosaur Yu”. Andrew Reichel is either obsessed with sonic effects or wants to reflect society’s dependence on gadgets, or both. The whole deal is a cerebral take on piercing electronica but, with numbers like “Ohne Schlage” or “3C273”, one is forced to admit that it may have a certain shock value for newcomers.
As the ship swings through the troubled waters, you may spot a techno-oriented glacier like “On a Clear Night You Can See the Answer”, but the highlight is unarguably the defrosting, hypnotizing effect you can hear on “Slowjob”. Like most of the album, this track is best enjoyed with a good pair of headphones. By the end of it, a female voice promises you will feel very relaxed after she counts backwards from eight to zero. Try it and see the result.
I must confess that when the first part of “Unifactor” was nearing its completion, I was starting to think it lacked some of IDM records’ alluring fineries like those electric valves pumping up and down. But then “Cool Sweet Awesome Yay!” came and fortunately proved me wrong. On the other hand, “Propulsion” contains the nicest sample-based collage you will probably experience the whole year.
Sometimes corrosive, often challenging but never boring, Gel-Sol’s second effort is perfect for a Sunday morning’s slow awakening.
http://www.properlychilled.com/music/artist/profile.php?view=1517
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