From Jacob Arnold Sent Sat, May 30th 1998, 17:41
_Consumed_ is the latest album produced by Richie Hawtin under the pseudonym Plastikman. Though Hawtin sticks with his traditional minimal style, the sounds on this album are much different from those on the previous two. There are more textures echoing around the ever-present beats. The tracks are slower, more menacing, and at times even ambient. "Contain" sets the tone with brooding, reverberating bass and hypnotic clicks and beats. On "Consume" two notes alternate like an out-of-control locomotive. They seem to speed up as more sounds build, and the image in my mind shifts to a conveyer belt in a factory assembly line. "Cor Ten" picks up on the same theme, after "Passage (In)" provides a brief interlude. "Ekko" has an underwater feel to it. While listening, I feel like I'm lying on the ocean floor, staring up at the flickering lights reflecting off the interface. Hawtin uses another simplistic pattern of shifting bass notes, and then sonar notes kick in among swirling taps. My favorite track, "In Side," plays with the same type of mesmerizing syncopation present at the end of Hawtin's _Mixmag Live!_ set. This album is best listened to straight through. All of the tracks adhere to a similar theme, but the overall effect is satisfying. I've always been a fan of Hawtin's subtlety, however. I like to listen to this album from a room adjacent to the one containing my speakers, or while I'm lying in bed with my headphones on. Like all Plastikman material, the tracks grow on me. This is good stuff. Jacob Arnold -- Crossfade: <http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/> Music reviews and more. The IDM Ring: <http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/idmring.html> Your guide to Intelligent Dance Music on the Web.