With a genuine passion for composition, Tilia AKA Alexander Peterhaesel’s extended piece is truly a wonderful listening experience. ‘…And Coming Back’, which opens the disc starts with an abstract feeling, a sense of uncertainty as to where this work is going to take you. Before long piano loops (which are roughly edited to create a sense of unconformability almost) and broken electronics that remind us of early Oval seems to float through the mix filtering in and at the five minute mark the mood of the piece seems to transform into an almost post rock feel, as the melodies unite, backed with a gritty electronic back beat. The results of this simple play between the abstract and the expected is honestly so effective it thoroughly surprises. The second two sections of this composition ‘Roundabout’ and ’Moronic’ carry the same well executed compositional simplicities – these qualities of the production that bring to mind Tortoise without ever actually moving into the territory of emulation. This is essentially a wonderful foray through the realm of minimal electronics, post-serial composition and adventurous production aesthetics.
Lawrence English