idol ko si: s/t

The first material object from Idol Ko Si references a life of musical investigation without distinct clarity for the derivation of those references. Yes, the group has devoured sounds from other times and lands, but never once do those influences announce themselves. It is a minimalist result with a maximalist intent. Every group does this to some extent, but Idol Ko Si seems to consciously avoid the "recommended if you like" syndrome. Idol Ko Si has been called an abstracted supergroup -- featuring as it does members of Aframes, Climax Golden Twins, Factums, Dreamsalon, AFCGT, Sublime Frequencies, and Yves SonAce. But supergroups tend to yield competing sounds and here Min Yee, Matthew Ford and Robert Millis congeal into something significantly distinct that is not immediately audible in any of their other projects -- fractured sounds, broken beats, cocaine ambiance... low key, lo-fi and hazy. Sinister has never had a more appropriate companion. A disorientation begins as you get further into the album. The sounds are crisp, but by "'ludes and words" the obfuscated vocals galvanize a confusion that lasts until the album's end. It wouldn't be surprising to learn this creation originated from a part of the psyche that we prefer not to acknowledge, or it may just be a result of present times. It seems these sounds wouldn't be out of place as a soundtrack to the Zone from Tarkovsky's Stalker.