"As with the nature of the imprint, there is little detail to accompany the release, aside from the obvious references to some choice Roland hardware - SH101, JD800, System 1M, System 100"
When you think of Ilian Tape, you readily associate it with its sequence of aural tomes from equally associated headline artists such as Skee Mask, Stenny, Andrea and the Zenker Brothers themselves.
Under the radar and slipped out with little fanfare on the last Bandcamp Friday, is this 8-track vinyl release from MPU101, on the rubber stamped and experimental white label offshoot ‘ITX’. As with the nature of the imprint, there is little detail to accompany the release, aside from the obvious references to some choice Roland hardware – SH101, JD800, System 1M, System 100 – which helps pitch the vibe.
There is gauzy brutalist ambient – particularly across closing trio ‘Some 100100MM‘, ‘Noquan 12‘, and ‘SYS1FinMwitch‘ – capturing that mid-century foreboding awe of the future, explored through technology and architecture. Peaking in the middle, and giving the impression of the album being crafted like a bell curve, a semblance of tangible rhythm is introduced with ‘260078_2‘, whose kick is simultaneously barely there and leaves a gravitational wake, and the slushy uptempo funk of ‘A8 Basslines‘.
By the looks of the increasing amount of “Sold Out” listings for ‘MPU101‘, it is resonating like the saw wave oscillation of ‘800pbp8492‘, a great many already enticed by detuned frequencies feathering their way up through their nervous systems. Don’t sleep on this one.
‘ITX022’ is out now via Ilian Tape. Order a. copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. M185-2SYS1M
2. J800latinGrass
3. 800pbp8492
4. 260078_2
5. A8 Basslines
6. Some 100100MM
7. Noquan 12
8. SYS1FinMwitch