AdAstra, 2000
Twine’s latest release is a remix collaboration with Horchata. There are four original tracks, two by each artist, with a remix of each one by the other group. The track titles (“Soil,” “Center,” “Sindl,” and “Wind”) all suggest ambient music, but there’s plenty of crunchy beats to go around. “Soil” is my favorite cut, with a subtle melody and sounds that remind me of Speedy J’s Public Energy No. 1. I have more trouble getting into the harder, more abstract “Center (Rmx)” and “Sindl.” Both are rough and complex, with lots of frenzied static and clickings. “Wind” is more to my liking, with subdued swirlings of noise and muted wind-chimey echoes. Bass notes thrum in after a couple of minutes, warning of an impending alien melody. This is a very dramatic piece, with cinematic overtones. The adjacent “Wind (Rmx)” ups the ante with harsher sounds—what was once a desert breeze is suddenly a hurricane of chopped up digital howling. I like it. Next up is the minimalist “Center.” This one seems inspired by Pole and The Kooky Scientist. It’s an enjoyable robot dance with lots of funky clattering. “Sindl (Rmx)” and “Soil (Rmx)” round out the CD. The former is a little too noisy for my taste, but the latter is an appropriate conclusion to this sonic journey. The haunting melody of the first track is reprised in beatless precision. Very satisfying.