Joe Galen

For Triangles

Creaked

Since “United Kingdoms”, Robert Wyatt’s collaboration with Ultramarine kick started the whole “Folktronica” scene all that time ago, the oeuvre has consistently failed to live up to it’s promise, offerings ranging from the cultural condescension of Tuung to the sheer suicidal blandness of Four Tet.

It’s refreshing then, to find an artist such as Joe Galen exploring the full potential of the genre on “At Triangles”. “Interlude to get stuff” finds both aspects in full pagan effect, mixing the transcendent folk rock of Fairport with the jarring digitalis of Aphex Twin or Squarepusher.

On “Uncertain”, skittering electronics underpin a naïve psychedelic melancholy, reminiscent of Wyatts later work, the ringing twinkles and clatters mirroring a yearning lyric and “Persuasion” brings to mind the work of lost eighties retro-futurist genius Nick Nicely. “Contravention” brings together the pastoral, the cynical and the Big Phat Bassline. We like.

Where Galen falls short is where he shies away from the experimentalism that represents his real strength, such as on closer “Searching For Someone”, opting instead for a bland sentimentality reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy at his least inspired, which all sounds a bit old hat these days (boom, tsch).

But these moments are rare, “For Triangles” for the most part is a rare treat for connoisseurs of modern psychedelia, Joe Galen is the new mole in the ministry and for those who feel that Folktronica’s union of acoustic song writing, and sonic exploration rarely reaches it’s narcotical potential, this one’s for you…

Paul Stevens