Dan Abrams
Stream
Mille Plateaux
Dan Abrams is better known as his alias, Shuttle358. On Optimal and Frame (both on Taylor Deupree’s 12k label), Abrams created slowly drifting synthesized clouds of sound, driven by the clickpop beats favored by the microsound set. These releases were the perfect marriage of meditative ambience and subtle rhythms. Stream, however, is a more process-oriented release. Appropriately released on the theory-heavy Mille Plateaux label, Stream is the end result of software written by Abrams. His “script based software synth” randomly culls bits of sound from his library of sounds and dumps them into a sequencer. This leads to an aggregation of sound that is less overtly atmospheric, and has grittier textural elements. Tracks like “Grammar” show a Pole-esque dub sensibility, with the low bass smothered in microscopic clicks and pops. The static and hiss are emphasized here, and the rhythms are less flowing. They are more loop based, and don’t have the forward momentum that really characterized Abrams’ Shuttle358 work. However, Stream is no less an accomplishment than Abrams’ other projects, and will likely please those who can stand are little melody in their glitch stew.
Mille Plateaux; ac@force-inc.com, http://www.force-inc.com/mp/
