Planet Mu, 2005
If you want to hear sheep, feline roars, humans voices and other sonic stimuli dancing in harmony with pure synthesis and other various electronic tricks and gadgets, just go get this album by Phthalo head Dimitris Fergadis. Producer extraordinaire for more than a decade now, his releases are scarce, but always rewarding and favoring repeated listening. There’s no filler in these ten tracks, and it’s difficult to choose a favorite. Today I would pick the series of “Thesis Essay – Sitcom at a Funeral,” “Rosemary,” and “Hilbert Space.” These painstakingly structured audio artifacts are impossible to pigeonhole, probing all kinds of styles from the electronic realm and beyond, but never submitting completely to any one of them. All compositions here are above the five minute mark, taking time to develop and mutate, giving the impression of superimposed abstract tapestries moving through the ears like on a conveyor belt. One of the best records I’ve listened to this year on any genre. Stunning.