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12"
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FILM 011LP
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Utopia Cloak arrives on FILM with Marina Gardens. Utilizing both electronic and acoustic components, the British producer crafts hazy, dynamic electronica with a decidedly emotive bent. The music explores a curious production aesthetic -- at once half-sunk and at the same time gloriously crisp and direct. Caustic drum machine hits underpin the majority of the work, compete with polyrhythmic rolls and glitches, while softly warping synth lines occupy the majority of the remaining sonic space. Rather than working explicitly with nostalgia, Utopia Cloak makes more subtle references to the classic sounds of yore -- riffing on Downtempo and IDM with gentle and considered nuance, eking out arcane hooks and rich melodies with a pleasing focus on compositional structure and songcraft. Contrast is the key here, though; Utopia Cloak works hard to find the balance between metallic percussion strikes and wide-angle instrumental elements, avoiding chaos in favor of a lush, rewarding listening experience.
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