Photek
KU:PALM

The return to the album format for Photek was not a given; the last signal was in 2007 with Form & Function Vol 2. It took another five years of waiting for this KU:Palm, which indeed came out in 2012. Rupert Parkes is certainly not a producer with idle hands, quite the opposite, but when he appears under his historic moniker, he always captures global attention. The mysterious cover could be interpreted as a sort of manifesto on how to get into trouble, and in Parker's case, it translates to an attempt to decipher modern sounds while also seeking a new path. The trademark dnb of Photek is gone, forget about it, but house still makes an appearance, just like the distant, unforgettable Solaris. But KU:Palm constantly seeks the balance between experimentation and listening, with mixed results.

Signals opens the dance with almost trance-like synths and very pronounced electro percussion, crystalline sounds calibrated to the millimeter, production at stratospheric levels, but among effects, diva-sirens, and some more or less inconclusive tricks, little is told. Quadrant lowers the pace, taking on almost trap-like connotations, here too impeccable production, but few things to say. Aviator we already knew well and it couldn't but find a place in the album, it was already released as a single and maintains that role in the economy of the record, it is a track that really stands apart from Parkes' signature, decidedly catchy with its melodic synths in delay, an incessant loop that leaves room for hints of electric bass. We are still essentially in the spectrum of electro music, without particular upheavals. Here too, unfortunately, the progression is quite static, with the same formula repeated ad infinitum, some variation would have been appreciated. Just when the anguish of the sensation of a gratuitous release begins to make its way, out of nowhere comes Pyramid, the best episode of the album. A dark electro-jazz experiment, with sampled (or actually played) free-form percussion and an exotic aftertaste. Gloomy and haunting bassline, dispersed vocal hints in a murky limbo, and scattered sitar fragments all around. Fantastic, nothing to say, a little gem that leaves you only wanting more. Shape Charge borrows a dubstep structure and synths that immediately recall Solaris, it's a fascinating piece, but I'm not very in tune with the direction taken in the second part. Munich is another successful point, a poignant piano line in ultra-delay marries a rather slow and atmospheric quarter-note beat, the same structure, but slowed down, continues with Quevedo, another piece of great prominence that introduces '80s sounds. Sorrowful diva vocal inserts and splendid Morricone-like synths, you can also feel an interesting progression that makes the experience almost cinematic; imagine the soundtrack to the events of a Cuban gangster in Miami, you thought Scarface, I didn't write it. Another piece I appreciated is One of a Kind, electro-house guided by a very catchy female vocal line (Veronika Coassolo), but once it gets going, the track unleashes a driving synth line that makes you want to hit the dance floor. Not coincidentally, it's the only true dance episode of the album. I didn't hit the dance floor, but in compensation, I tapped my foot with a certain satisfaction, it turned out I'm a bit tacky.

KU:Palm seems to be Photek's response to the modern electronic sound, with many similarities to the electro and dubstep genre and none with the drum and bass that made him famous. The move is risky towards the old guard but not shocking when observing the artist's previous works, who may have truly said all there is to in that genre and is in constant search of new adventures. Not all tracks are successful or necessary, and the moodiness is at times disturbing: the album never knows what type of audience to cater to, sometimes it's radio-friendly, other times elusive and underground, and it's well known that in attempting to please everyone, you risk pleasing no one. However, there are some tracks you absolutely must listen to, Pyramid first and foremost, it alone is worth an entire star.