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PS I Love You

Kid 606
PS I Love You
(Mille Plateaux)

After starting my Kid 606 adventure with his somewhat hit-or-miss Down With The Scene release, I decided that I should try one of his releases that wasn't quite as heavy on the noise side. Granted, I like the fuzz just as much as most people, but at some points it just gets a bit overwhelming and if PS I Love You didn't sound like a warm and inviting title, then I wasn't sure what was.

Upon hearing the first track on the disc, I wondered if I was going to be in for another viscious assault on the senses, but it turns out that "Sing It" is nothing more than a warm up of sorts. At two minutes, it flits along with some mild crackles and hints of warm tones in the background while sonar pings echo off, but never really develops into anything. Although the second track "WhereWeLeftOff" starts off with a sharp hit of static, it actually morphs into probably the most 4/4 dancefloor track that Kid 606 has ever done. Although the static chirp that started the track skates around through the entire time, getting smacked out of shape here and there, the track is propelled with a warm beat and some pretty tones that sound like it could be the work of Mr. Hawtin if it weren't for the rest of the surroundings.

"Twirl" takes some of those same soft beats (as well as acoustic guitar samples, my goodness) and turns them into another minimal track that you could probably shake your booty to as well. It's the latter half of the album, though, where things really change gears and come together even more. "Sometimes" is a shimmering, super minimal ambient track that is the sonic equivalent of flowing water while "Now I Wanna Be A Cowboy" slides along with a clunky, subdued beat and some more echoing chimes over the top of it. "Sonqizzover" rumbles along with enough glitchwork to have been a natural for the Clicks And Cuts compilation (that Kid 606 also took part in) while "Strum" chops up several different sounds and layers them in a way that would make fans of Christian Fennesz squeal with glee.

Just in case you thought things would get too cuddly, though, along comes "Fuck Up Everything You Can Before You Plan On Slowing Down" at the end of the disc and throws some harsh pulses into the mix. Although a majority of the track is drifting through warm, ambient spaces, there are moments where sounds like a computer is violently vomiting data burst in and break the quiet drift. In the end, there aren't any crazy, chopped-up breakbeats and schizzo rhythms on the release, but there's still a definite Kid 606 signature on things. In some ways it's his most accessible release, yet there are still moments that will let you know that even though he loves you, it's a tough love.

Rating: 7

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