Neo Ouija, 2005
Kero’s music is interesting for its complexity. This is traditional IDM, with layers of odd noises vying for space. Occasionally, melodies emerge from the clutter. “Wsecong-fire” sounds like a combination of Autechre and Richard Devine, with tortured glitches and a simple melody over deep bass. “Chillin” adds silly whistle-like noises and harpsichord to the sounds of a computer in pain. It ends with waves of reverb, like the sound of bats in the Scooby-Doo theme song. “T34g,” featuring one “MC Marco,” combines phone messages with a dubby beat and menacing synths.
Some of the tracks are muddier. It’s easy to feel lost in the bass-heavy noodling of “Cracktrackedit.” Likewise, “3.21” is as mechanical as its title. “Morningwood” sounds like an NES game.
This is one of those albums that works when I’m in a certain mood, but I can only tolerate it in small doses. Kero’s sounds are extremely artificial, and the result can be listener fatigue. This music is similar to a lot of other IDM—it requires concentration.