"Belly Up is a short-but-sweet 20 minute project that allows the percussion that provides such a gilded edge to Moin’s riveting sound, to reveal its intricacies often unnoticed in prior works by the group."
With the release of ‘Belly Up’, Moin have embedded themselves within a distinct world suspended between sluggish and drugged-out stupors, and erratic and frenetic episodes – yet with both states as intricately constructed as the other.
Following on from their previous project, ‘You Never End’, the outfit has taken a marked pivot from the saturated, washed out guitar tones that defined much of the LP, and have replaced them in part with the cerebral saxophone playing of Ben Vince – an experimental electronic performer, akin perhaps to that of Colin Stetson in his frantic, mazy, somewhat schizophrenic runs, and whose personal work fits neatly within the sample-based approach to Moin’s harmonic orchestration.
This synthetic framework is perhaps more evident within ‘Belly Up’ than prior releases, with the project seeming to embody more of Tom Halstead and Joe Andrew’s original work as Raime – an electroacoustic duo working originally with electronic sampling, but later expanding into experimental live performance. The electronic origins of which Moin were borne out of are distinctly prevalent throughout the EP, often featuring minimal yet textured synth elements, underpinning the turbulence, providing a secure sense of groundedness for an easily overwhelmed listener.
Most notably present are the somewhat signature mangled vocal samples that one will often come to associate with much of Moin’s music – found in the fourth and fifth tracks “X.U.Y.” and “I Don’t Know Where to Look”, and less consistently in the childish wailing of “I Trusted You!” in the second piece “I’m Really Flagging (or I Trusted U)”.
The most salient part of any Moin project, however, is still the superlative element throughout this record – the ingenious percussion of Valentina Magaletti – whose work consistently makes Moin the intriguing and entertaining curiosity shop it continues to be for any newcomers. Despite significant portions of the tracks on this EP often containing little to no discernable metre or tempo, Magaletti traverses through chord changes and structure with fluidity and ease, yet never without weightlessness, always ensuring to place emphasis and gravitas at the correct moments within the arrangement.
Often going beyond the conventional approach to a drum kit, Magaletti seems to extract every timbre possible from each drum and cymbal, and frequently employs sounds together that are usually found worlds apart. Yet, this strikes at perhaps the core of what makes Moin’s percussion section so enthralling. Every element within their work seems to provide some sense of rhythmic intention; whether it may be a layered and warped sample, a garbled bird call, the frank and bare poetry of Sophia Al-Maria (a London-based multimedia artist and previous collaborator on ‘You Never End’), or even the plosive saxophone performances from Vince – each seem to fit neatly into the organised chaos of Magaletti’s frenzied drumming.
An aspect expertly punctuated by the more dry arrangements of Halstead and Andrew, with minimal use of the Duster-esque guitar sounds commonly associated with their wider discography. ‘Belly Up’ is a short-but-sweet 20 minute project that allows the percussion that provides such a gilded edge to Moin’s riveting sound, to reveal its intricacies often unnoticed in prior works by the group.
‘Belly Up’ is out now via AD 93. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. See (feat. Sophia Al-Maria & Ben Vince)
2. I’m Really Flagging (or I Trusted U) (feat. Ben Vince)
3. You Leave Me Breathless
4. X.U.Y.
5. I Don’t Know Where to Look
6. The Day