Aedact― - AmbiSel
Aedact is an abstract, formless and improvisational experimentation of synthesis. The Italian producer is not new to the scene, and his incredible production skills are obviously the result of his extensive catalogue. Unfortunately, his work greatly suffers in the composition department, making his skills redundant. AmbiSel, released on June 6th, 2020, was a frustrating experience.
Autechre’s fingerprints can be seen all over AmbiSel, especially during songs such as on-modal and Luxir that blatantly rip-off their influences. The best two songs are linked; Yllidfeal I may have a bland opening section, but it has a neat progression into its second half. Yllidfeal II, on the other hand, is bliss throughout. While it may be slightly long and directionless, its hazy ambience and awesome production make it a true standout. The Colleen-inspired Centrical is beautiful. Despite being compositionally lacking, it has a vibrant enough atmosphere one can easily get lost within. The rest of the tracks are unfulfilling. There’s value to the more abstract ambient pieces, such as o O ° o ° O o and qfexp_i7_d.sine, though they’re too drawn out and with little substance. IiJil \hub and u4net Pien are also repetitive and substanceless. Both tracks suffer from a lack of direction or purpose. The subtle intricacies on 1.ne a_Zesur are as stunning as they are quiet, but the track does not make use of its extended runtime. Neither does the obnoxiously long d~saw and Luxir. Lastly, F∞ is boring Klaus Schzule fluff and Qntinum is repetitive and dull with an overlong outro. Most of these songs are well constructed, yet they simply offer nothing new to the genre.
The album feels too artificially constructed; regardless of whether it was AI generated or not, it sometimes feels overly robotic and stiff. Rarely during the standout tracks mentioned above does it have any life. One could argue it needs a greater selection of tracks to select from, though I’d argue it’s simply missing the human touch. Nonetheless, despite how plain the compositions are, there’s an incredibly proficient level of production; the album sounds divine throughout. Thus, it works incredibly well as muzak or background music. One should expect with a larger array of sounds or a more unique vision on Aedact―’s next album, though; it could be phenomenal. Here’s hoping he doesn’t make the same mistakes with the next release.
Below Average
Listen to it here:
Aedact― - AmbiSel
