translation of squadron review from www.mcity.fr - original in french After several years of musical 'contemplation', the instigators of this Miami-based label have finally decided to make some CDs. The new electronic 'style' is born. The town of Miami is becoming the 'stronghold' of electronica, after Schematic and Chocolate Industries, one must now think about this promising young label. People compare these artists to Funkstorung and Autechre a lot, but these artists are not just simply clones, they have the same talent only a few years after, so one can only appreciate these new compositions. Raised with the vitamins that are Skam, Warp, Planet µ, Musik Aus Strom in their baby bottles, the apocalyptical squadron of the end of the millenium surge from the underground to lull our neurons. This comp, the second release off of Merck, unites some unknown artists (with the exception of Lexaunculpt and Fizzarum) that come from all over the world. As many would tell you, this type of CD is forcibly attractive/alluring to buy for the electronica buff, since he'll find a whole new crowd of artists on it. The graphics on the CD combine graffiti and metal industial-looking structures; the general ambience of this compilation is a scientists well-learned futuristic cocktail, a sort of subtle compression of differnt kinds of electronic music, experimental, industrial, hip-hop, and techno-influenced. In the US, people call this genre of "abstract dance music" IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) squadron review from www.hauntedink.com So I buy this, little did I realize that this work--which is a who's-who of up and coming IDM artists like Fizzarum, Lexaunculpt, Ambidextrous, Lackluster, and many more, and is only the second release for Florida's Merck--would be so much damn fun from beginning to end. Although many of the songs resemble the work produced on Schematic, Music Aus Strom, and other experimental electronic labels, there is a joyfulness to this work that is rare in these parts. The music here is, quite simply, fun to listen to, and enjoyable from end to end. But this is also intelligent music, music that bears up to repeated listens. Take Bauri's "Stealth Style," which features a barrage of 303 squelches, a structure that builds and tears down melody after melody, and ends with a faint, simple synth organ line that is as beautiful as Bola's best moments. The song is, in short, weird because it moves from one extreme to another, but it works--it has an internal consistency and a great sound to boot! Listen also to Syndrone's "Ifni" and Lexanculpt's "Tell Me You Love Me" and "Ambidextrous's "6 Million Forms." Listen to the whole thing! It's all good. translation of squadron review from www.bip-hop.com - original in french Merck is a label from Miami which, like local Schematic & Chocolate Industries, focuses on Electronica... With a preference to be classified in the section Intelligent Dance Music. A term, which if I am not mistaken, was introduced by Warp on one the their first compilations. The shade of Autechre or Richard Devine compares well to the label and this compilation shows of a great unit. Sometimes one thinks that all the titles resemble each other. However the disc is extremely agreeably during more than an hour. Fortunately some of the protagonists manage to differ and "draw their beeps from the play". Lexaunculpt's (which requires of us to say we like him) track" tell me you love me ", is on a tone very strange and attracting. It confirms the excellent impression left by his release on Isophlux... Komp is Swedish and his contribution is very pretty... The following title is the best of the cd, created by Russian Roman Belousov, who hides under the pseudonym Novel 23. He is really excellent and it is just repeated with superb a first album on Pitchcadet... Russian duet Fizzarum which everyone speaks highly of due to their City Centre Offices 7". I find them good in a region already largely defined by Autechre, and unfortunately they do not bring great things although being completely listenable. Bauri is also a good figure, this young Swede directs the label Saundart and it is thus very recommendable. Others on the cd include Lackluster, Proswell, Sense, Machine Drum, Brothomstates, Salice, Ambidextrous, MD, and Syndrone. I also highly reccomend the first album by Syndrone (merck 001) . Syndrone shows of a great maturity, and his computerized arpeggios push the melody far. For now, 2 outputs which make Merck essential to the fans of new scene IDM. Less the completists will make their sorting. squadron review from www.error-404.com/noerror Squadron is a compilation of electronic works, sharing distorded textures, harmonic candy and wide-open influences: "intro1 (frank bolero construct)" (Lackluster + Frank Bolero) opens the show with a two-headed tune, fragile harmonies playing with maimed percussive elements. "Jasmine my serious flower" (Proswell) then proposes us broken, lofi drums playing an intense, syncopated rythm on a serene, harmony: a quite sound tune, efficient, straight to the point. The lush pads and oriental harmonies that are offered to us in "day off" (Sense) continues building the intense atmosphere of the cd. Some movie like orchestrations there, heavy sounds also. A small minus on the conventional high pitched percussions, and the length of the tune. Everything falls a bit when we enter one of the only tunes by an 'established' artist, "tell me you love me" (Lexaunculpt). This piece all in length where dsp manipulations meet hidden harmonies, fails a bit where the autechre of lp5 or ep7 excels. Fortunately, here comes my favorite tune of the cd, "fres core" (md).. a sonic show, featuring astounding panoramic manipulations, funky basses surfing on a layer of dub/dnb percussions, surrounded by a field of slightly distorded harmonies. It features also some nice rythmic surprises... a piece for lovers of the moral hard candy soundtrack. "24101999" (brothomStates) is a peculiar tune: it constantly plays with the listener by disorienting him with unknown, but 'natural', 'analogic sounding' sonic and vocal elements: a sequence of events disdained by a sound, proud bass line. The percussive events progressively build the slow rythmic layer as the whole tune gets distorded towards the end, and rougher sounds take over. A bit hypnotised by all this musical trickery we find ourselves in the middle of "blue edge" (Salice) which features classical harmonies and speedy distorded percussions.. soon replaced by "her dear love" (Komp) an evocative tale of a childhood reminding melody desintegrating itself in the middle of corrosive sounds. Distorded percussions opens up "l'ombre nel cuore" (novel 23) soon joined by powerful harmonies, between nostalgia and serenity . constrasting with the disoriented atmosphere that the scorched sounds and the slightly detuned bass of "vesat" (fizzarum) are building. "stealth style" (bauri) starts the last part of the cd with hiphop rythms and mad influences, and a repetitive lofi background. "ifni" (syndrone) is all about dsp manipulations and distorded sonorities. "6 millions forms" (ambidextrous) can be described as an electronic ballad, composed of a hiphop inspired rythm and optimistic serene harmonies. Hiphop inspired also is the last tune, "izey rael" (machine drum) featuring slow, lush harmonies, hiphop rythms, scratches, vocal manipulations, and an evil girl laughing! A very good overall musical quality, lot's of nice productions are there, and fairly well selected ones! This helps makes the compilation a complete and intense piece and not just a sequence of tunes by various artists. I'm just a bit wondering still if compilations suits well this musical genre, as they cannot provide enough room for the artists to build a complete atmosphere. One word though, the sound quality of the cd is not what it should be, as most of the tunes are overcompressed (a process which gives a higher overall volume but destroys the sound dynamics, mostly used for pop/rock tunes), which kills a bit certain pieces.

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