TRACKLIST

1. Caretta . . . . . . . . . . . .6:12 2. Sortman Tales . . . . . . . . .5:53 3. Scruffy . . . . . . . . . . . .4:15 4. Legh Naoum. . . . . . . . . . .1:43 5. Relax . . . . . . . . . . . . .4:05 6. Relax (Peekay Tayloh Remix) . .3:19

Operating out of Greece, Low Impedance Recordings makes an auspicious debut with EPs by Pridon (Petros Voudouris) and Tokyo Mask plus a full-length from Kamotek.
Pridon's 25-minute set roots itself in retro-styled IDM that occasionally echoes Plaid in its bright jubilance ("Relax," with its tumbling beats, off-kilter melodies, and slinky vibe); the disc also adds spasmodic drill'n'bass to the synth washes and staccato burble of "Scruffy." Considerably more interesting by comparison are the tracks where Voudouris infuses his material with the infectious syncopation of African percussion. The swizzling synths and bouncy beats of "Caretta" are enhanced by shakers and sticks while "Sortman Tales" presents a similarly effective stomp of writhing synth squelches and blips. The disc is nicely capped by Peeky Tayloh's "Relax (remix)" which transforms the original entirely by bringing forth a warm streaming ambiance and emphasizing intricate spindly beat structures.

Following his 2005 debut album on Fluxion's Vibrant Music imprint, Pridon returns with this next instalment, a five track EP. This EP also comes with a bonus remix by Peekay Tayloh (Poeta Negra Records). Made for the most part at Pridon's old wind-lashed seaside street in Brighton (from which the title is borrowed), "New Steine" is the result of Pridon's attempt to compose music that connects the fragmented pieces of his music listening experience. In doing so, he is diving into the roots of his palette, with an emphasis on compositional structure, creating hybrids that unfold linearly in a skillful and surprising way. The EP opens with "Caretta", where the off-kilter hip hop rhythm and burbling, cascading synth lines give way to glissando acid lines, which snake around a fortified rhythm section as gloomy dissonant ambiences encroach. Pridon's interest in sonic synthesis and in creating detailed movement of sound is evident from track one, as he operates in microworld and macroworld with a confident flair, utilising found sounds to add feel to his rhythm sections and successfully interlocks layers of melodic and rhythmic parts. "Sortman Tales", with it's snare that sounds reminiscent of a bucket of water (or lego?) being chucked against a wall, "Scruffy"'s frantic IDM/Detroit techno mergence and the bittersweet, funky slo-mo rave of "Relax" make this EP a rich and rewarding listen. Peekay Tayloh's heavily reworked version of the preceding track finishes off the EP, with it's water colour sonic washes and spindly pitter-patter rhythms.