It takes a lot to keep things interesting after two-and-a-half decades and nine albums, but Plaid aren’t your average journeymen. Working continuously at the forefront of electronic music production, Plaid - Andy Turner and Ed Handley - have managed to incorporate the latest innovations of synthesis technologies into their sound while still referencing and celebrating their unique playful and emotive sound.
'Hawkmoth' unfolds with undulating melodic patterns twisting in on themselves, while their trademark shimmering tones create a sheen of luminous harmonies, creating a track that evolves to epic proportions. It's the kind of listening journey that Plaid know how to navigate incredibly well. 'Nafovanny' churns with darker undertones, a juddering kick providing the foundation for rumbling synth patterns riven with pained emotion, dancing above twisted scuzz and tattered electronics. 'Wallet', however, glints like a sunny vista, wide eyed and expansive in its scope. ‘Tether’ almost bursts with tension, skipping percussion straining beneath syncopated, trance-like riffs and buzzing synth lines. The crisp electro spirit of standout 'Martin Lunaire' brims with effervescent spirit, its joyful melodies evocative of an imagined youth. Closing with the instrumental panache of ‘Liverpool Street’, Reachy Prints is another masterful release from the duo, a study in electronics welcoming and sinister; profane and divine.
As featured in the Mid-year Roundup 2014
