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Amon Tobin
Permutation
Late but full of that energy that usually comes earlier in the evening. Mystery tinged with melancholy. Jazz laced with breakbeat. Amon dishes out some eclectic ambient electronica that bounces around between a Propellerheads sound when in its high energy state and a Twin Peak's moodscape when it's toned down. We might use the term acid jazz to describe this if we knew what that term meant. But somehow, it seems that this term would come up short when thrown against the music. Take Nightlife for instance. The start - mellow ivory tickling lounge sound like something you'd expect from an old 40's radio show - complete with a honey crooning the oh, oh, oh, ohs in the background. This takes a sudden haunting lurch towards scary movie soundtrack music before throwing in a complete curve and cutting to a classical flute passage which conjures up images of ballerinas dancing. For kicks this is broken up with a Saturday-afternoon cartoon type riff which leaves you totally grasping for references - are we thinking Swan Lake or Bugs Bunny? Meanwhile, in furious drums and bass are working in the background - and it all works! If you're looking for straightforward, happy predictable pop, stay away from this one. And, we think that Amon falls down when he leaves the mood and tries for the hyperdrum breakbeat rave hit (which he does on a couple of tune here). This is dark, moody, experimental but downright good for sitting up late at night - just you, a beer, a computer screen and keyboard.
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