Benbecula, 2007
Christ. (period included) continues his exploration of analogue electronics and wistful melodies on only his second full-length in five years. While his press materials carefully avoid mentioning Boards of Canada, comparisons are once again unavoidable. “Happyfour Twenty” demonstrates the same obsession with numerology and subtle sonic degradation. Seventies synths with fuzzy edges shift over a crackly beat. “Making a Snow Angel” combines hip-hop beats with childhood nostalgia. Voices are buried in the mix.
Christ.’s best pieces are slow-building and slightly spooky. On “Stained Century,” exotic-sounding synths slowly finger-paint in moody bliss over vaguely electro percussion. “Vernor Vinge,” previously issued as a single, is gorgeously off-kilter. “Cordate,” a live single-take keyboard piece, is the perfect Christ. theme song. It is warm, optimistic, and familiar, proving once again that Christ. is a talented man.