Review of Algorhythm - The Contingency EP by StaticBeats.com

The music on this release would best be described as lightweight dark atmospheric leaning toward experimental techno. It's terrific actually and challenging in a refreshing way.

Far from solely relying on heavily processed sound, the music appears to have a purpose - disturbing the listener, or giving one cause to stop and focus. As the music glides and flows seamlessly through the first quarter of the album it isn't until the 7th track; Random Collocation, that the tempo increases and heavier beats are introduced - a sound which is very reminiscent of Mike Paradinas - having a chaotic structure and seemingly directionless plot. The track is actually one of the better ones of the album however and is completely different than most anything I've heard recently from labels outside of maybe Tigerbeat6.

Frankly, many of the tracks on this album are some of the most audibly challenging music I've heard in a while and yet still remain structured, plotted, and enjoyable. Its good to hear something different for a change. While the IDM formula (if such a thing can be said) still remains a pleasure for me to hear it's nice to see the childlike melodies, obvious samples, and chopped vocals have been sidelined in favor of a more original approach to "Intelligent". The final track on the album; Phahkt, leaves me wondering however. It seems out of place which the rest of the flow and mood of this release. Being both a remix and "bonus track" however may explain why it seems out of context. It is not unenjoyable, it's simply much more simple and subdued than the others. Regardless, taken as a whole, this album gets my hearty approval.

Further to the release and worth mentioning, is the packing and presentation. The CD itself is a black disc (such as those seen with PS2 video games) and the album was shipped to me in recycled cardboard. The artwork is black and white printed on 100% recycled paper including a rip-cord made of hemp from Hungary. Taken apart, the release consists of 4 items; the CD, its cardboard sleeve, a seven-page booklet of digital artwork, and its olive-green sleeve and housing. The promo I received is labeled as 391/500.

When releasing intelligent music, intelligent packaging goes a long way to convey the message of the artist or label. In my view, design and purpose is an integral part on the process and so it's nice as well to see a dedication which reads: Algorhythm is opposed to violence in all forms and state-terrorism in particular. Taking the notion and concept a step further we find the small print which (incredibly) reads: This sound recording may be freely reproduced without restriction, provided that this notice is included with every copy that is made and is for noncommercial use. Truly noble.

Algorhythm's 37 minute Contingency EP is a split Kikapu / No Logo release and can be accessed in downloadable form via the Kikapu.com website or by purchase for a mere $7 directly from No Logo. All releases on No Logo Records are made available in accordance with The Free Music Philosophy, which states that its music is freely reproducible for non-commercial purposes.  Very Nice !- 4.5/5 stars.  -  Shimone Samuel

Review of Algorhythm - The Contingency EP by DarkAmbient.org

The Contingency EP by Algorhythm is a work of art in itself. It comes with a unique packaging system. Made up of many different carefully crafted inserts and various artwork. The cd itself is a black cdr that is silkscreened with the artist logo and info alongside some psychedelic artwork. The Contingency EP is a net cd release at the Kikapu net.label which is a collection of music released on the net for free download as well as for purchase. This means you can listen to the tracks for free and if you like, you could then purchase the disk to have and to hold. Another startling thing about Algorhythm's work is that it is copyrighted under the Free Music Philosophy which makes it freely available for copying for non commercial purposes. This philosophy is similar to the GPL which is popular in the free software movement. All this philosophy took me by surprise since I too feel the same way about music, and computer software. Algorhythm could be one of the pioneers of this philosophy and set a template for others to follow. Anyways enough preaching to the choir.
The music of Algorhythm is definitely experimental, as well as grey. What I mean by grey is is is neither dark nor happy. It is in between. The first track Xial Intro is a static vibe building into a grey atmospheric introduction of what is to come. This seems as if something wonderful is going to happen in the not to distant future, and that is indeed track 2. Immanence is an extreme experiment in progressive but tight music that is all over the place. It reminds me of Orbital meets Aphex Twin without the erratic beats. The vibe is extremely happy as opposed to the greyer introduction. All is well, as this is experimental at the edge of the world. Pure psychedelic atmospheres are to follow with the third track Phahkt. There is another grey drone that contains some experimental glitches and bass drums. This is a greyish track with all sorts of sounds that build up to a peak wall of funk noise that is impossible to put into words.
The Xial comes back again with another grey atmospheric Intermission. This track "Xial Inter" adds to the introduction with some droning dark chanting. Alongside this is noise but it is not harsh noise, it is rather pleasant. Sounds of disintegration follow towards the end of the track which then goes into "She Said, Nevermind". This track starts with some noisy machine gun breakbeats and a nice synth line. The mellow consistency of this sonic experiment is very ambient, more like drums and ambient, with a woman's voice chanting. The feeling is that of dance music with hottie female vocals. But to such a laid back level that you would just want to lay back with your blacklight on, in your bean bag chair, and chill. This album is rather complex in its presentation. The other tracks such as Phahkt are also presented twice (some remixes are included by Vulcanizer and DubJay) as well as towards the end of the album the Xial Outro appears. I am mentioning Xial, as I am most fond of this trilogy. The soundscape is extremely experimental and as I said before it has this "grey" feeling. Definitely listen to the Xial for inspiration for any kind. The Contingency EP is a must listen, and because of the freedom we call the internet, it represents future thought. It is available for free download as I said earlier at Kikapu.  Recommended for those into experimental.  -  BulletHead

Review of Algorhythm - The Contingency EP by SceneOhio

Algorhythm sent a copy of The Contingency EP as a submission to the site and we just had to give it a review. Its not often that I get a chance to hear some music outside what I am buying on vinyl, so I was happy to give this CD a peep. I've gotten a fair amount of CDs in the mail over the years and have given every one of them a listen in the car on the way to the office. I must say this is definitely not a CD to pitch out the window. I listened to the disc several times myself, gave it a listen with my girl, a few friends, and my son even got a shot at some of the beats.

For those of you who don't know Joel, he is from Akron, OH. His alias Algorhythm is used on this solo project release. Much respect to this OHIO scene local producing CD quality tracks and taking the time to produce a workable combination of music, professional duplicate, nice packaging, and even nifty hand numbering system.

If you are looking for your average rave ready packaged CD at Best Buy, you are in the wrong place. This CD is the type you get through the vine, or ordering directly from the source. If you are looking to hear your average rave ready beats, go get your Global Underground CDs out cuz you wont find that here either.

If you are a big fan of Eat Static, Astralwerks, and the Orb then you'll want to be sure to give this CD a listen. The combination of smooth beats, hard beats, breaks, minimal sounds, and violet noise are sure to please your mind in almost the same way that Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz smooths the soul after a long nite of your average rave ready beats.  -  e21

Review of Algorhythm - The Contingency EP by Music Electronic and Otherwise Magazine

The ghost of Throbbing Gristle raises its shrunken head(s) on this brazen 37-minute investigation of shuttered worlds and AI run amok. Inside the intriguingly-constructed, string-bound 'jury-rigged' cardboard digi (on a limited edition coalblack CDR), sinewave usurper Joel MacClellan states that Algorhythm is "opposed to violence in all forms and state-terrorism in particular. His music seems to suggest otherwise. These cranky, semi-abrasive, anarchich pieces rumble and lumber towards a queasy post-industrialism, the logical extension of TG's modus operandi were they able to partake of today's available software.MacClellan's just as enamored with the rugged DSP and wetwarework of fellow partners-in-crime Gridlock, Neutronic, and the terminators down at Ant-Zen, but that doesn't mean he's any more adept at giving these nuggets of noxiousness the proper venue. Oh, he can be as confrontational as the next industrialist: "Phahkt" maroons listeners on a distant orb wasted by blazing magnesium tornadoes keeping meteorological time, and "Random Collocation" buries a miscarried hip-hop shuffle below a phalanx of sputtering machines repeating the death-cry "try and find your meaning." But it's too much, too late: the body of the machine-politik has been short-circuited by EBM powersurges, whose martial-art militancy has dulled the 'cutting-edge' of works like The Contingency EP and rendered its effect largely impotent. - Darren Bergstein

Review of Algorhythm - The Contingency EP by Cleveland's Scene Magazine

The amount of cutting-edge electronic music coming out of Cleveland is at an all-time high, so it's no surprise that young producers like Algorhythm are sprouting up.  But "The Contingency EP," the Akron native's debut release, owes a lot more to experimental electronica's innovators than it does to the rest of the heads around town.

In order to approximate one of Amon Tobin's rhythmic ballets, Algorhythm replaces his dusty jazz samples with a broad palette of electronic signal snippets on "Immanence."  On "Phahkt," he forges metallic clangs, stabs of digital static, and staple breakbeats into neck-snapping rhythms, aping Panacea's industrial-strength style.  Once everything is in place, he starts channeling Squarepusher.  "Random Collocation" unfolds like one of Mick Harris's pieces of tonal ambience, then devolves into a quesy brain-bender that Aphex Twin might have concocted.

Algorhythm's tastse are superb.  If he can inject a little more of his own style into his mix of influences, he might really be onto something.  - Steve Boughton

Review of Kikapu Gold Standard Compilation by IglooMag.com

V/A :: Gold Standard (Kikapu, CD) "...For the avid collector of abstract electronics, Gold Standard mixes 17-tracks of multi-structured musical art-forms and highlights the peculiar elements of sound that are typically under-appreciated in modern day audio consumption..."

A little of the above and a lot in between, Gold Standard is a compilation composed of multiple genres derived from the Kikapu Net Label based in Springfield, MO (USA). On their 50th release to date, Kikapu decided to kick back and spread their tunes in an alternate format, a circular compact disc (rather than MP3). Filtering through an expressive electronic branch, Gold Standard blends its experiments with sub-genre's like ambient, abstract, minimal, and dub-techno to create a cosmically drenched batch of unusual digital to analog debris.

As part of a continuing tradition in electronic music, compilations tend to display a cross-sectional view of a particular labels "sound." For the avid collector of abstract electronics, Gold Standard mixes 17-tracks of multi-structured musical art-forms and highlights the peculiar elements of sound that are typically under-appreciated in modern day audio consumption. Tracks like Algorhythm's "That One Track" weaves through thick acid twists and a downtempo breakbeat set for a smooth chill-out session at the coffee shops. Matt Borghi's "Your Home And Mine" contains a minimal click beat wrapped around a smooth ambient string that wonders peacefully in the dark. The opener by Mental DSP entitled "Living Room" features traditional drum programming with a subtle funk-vibe that grooves and pulsates into oblivion. Elsewhere on Gold Standard, Mar.ch presents "Gold," an uplifting yet melancholic ambient piece while Stud's "Erobic" bounces by with its pop-electronic textures reminiscent to that of artists like Plone and ISAN. Reconstructing Richard's "Balance Boy (Jizzello Remix)" cascades through Nintendo Hip-Hop territory with its tweaked melody chirp and percussive backdrop. From one extreme to another, this disc manages to engulf the senses in one fluid audio spectrum.

Gold Standard stores all of its infinite and memorable moments on this, their 50th all representative CD release. Featuring some of the main players who have been part of the Kikapu collective, Gold Standard sits comfortably next to releases on Morr, Merck and City Centre Offices.

Artists featured: Mental DSP, Glomag, Notech, Books on Tape, Algorhythm, Dubjay, Eric Laurence, Mar.ch, Cellular, Crashed By Car, Matt Borghi, Reconstructing Richard, Satellite Grooves, Stud, KOSIK, The System Boot and Michael Kirson-Goldapper.

Gold Standard is OUT NOW on Kikapu.   -  Igloo Magazine, Staff

Review of Kikapu Fall.02 Compilation CD (Kikapu) by HandStitchedHeart
This is an experimental electronic compilation where each artist is sectioned off to their own spot and selection of 2 - 4 songs each.

The first three songs are by the System Boot starting with a nice little number he calls "Morgan's Registry Hack". This song is really poppy and holds a good solid melody that reminds me of Kraftwerk and your average video game. The songs melodies makes me think of a skipping CD. Quite nice and good to start off this compilation. The next two songs continue through the System boot shelling out nice melodies and cool experiments with sound.

Next up is Eric Laurence changing it up with a more floaty, atmospheric and depressive sound. Starting with a nice introduction to his 3 song set with "Not Today" he sends us a pop song that is a little dark but not like evil dark, just the mood is more intense. His next song is more pick me up but still keeps the synth strings that give you a nice atmospheric sound. Ending his set of songs is his version of Eminem's "Without Me", a cool remix although to be honest I haven't heard the original so I can't really compare it.

No Tech is next blasting right in with a more beat oriented approach and hands us 4 songs to listen to. More experimental with the melody sitting in the back taking the ride on his first song. Chimes and bells and thick bass drums hit you in the head. No Tech mixes it up from song to song, but gives you a similar experimentation with beats here and there. A less gentle and more computer sound than to the previous two artists giving you a sign that this compilation is all about some equally talented artists expressing their stuff in different forms.

Whoa watch out, Algorhythm is next starting off his 4 songs with a more scary song that he calls "random collocation". This song is playing in the pool of experimental sound and doesn't really incorporate much of beats but more with sound. A scary dream pops in my head when hearing this song. Next in his batch is "Phahkt" showing the listener a more beat oriented song but no less of an experimental song, possibly a little industrial sounding and equally as dark as the last song. Algorhythm is definitely the darker of the bunch so far and all four songs shows that but changes it up enough to keep you listening, even if your scared like I am... :)

Giving us two songs is Mar.ch. Mar.ch calms everything down with a subtle spacious melody that introduces his set of ambient type songs. The drums kick in nice and a computerish glitch sound sits in as if it's trying to communicate to us something. His next song approaches similar, with a nice laid back melody that is ambient and atmospheric, but this song he leaves out the beats to kind of indulge us with a nice relaxed song.

Ending the compilation is Jizzello handing over two of his songs. "Stubs For Arms" is the first song making me think of a dark scene in a Sci Fi flick. The beats set in and trips a few times but gets back into beat. Nice tune. Then lastly is "Mark III", giving a more fast approach with beats. Beats are everywhere! A more techy feel than the previous song but sits well with the melody. A lead keyboard comes in that makes me think of a video game, but can't think of which one. This is my favorite of the two.

This compilation is a great example of what's going on over at the net label, Kikapu [kikapu.com]. You get 5 artists, 18 songs, and for the price they're selling this for, you can't go wrong. A great sampling work of some really good artists. All the artists are from the States too, which gives me hope that this country might catch onto something that amazing and new. Did I mention that Kikapu lets you download exclusive music for free? -  John Kale

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