Hailing from Dundee, Michael Colville, 19, presents a take on IDM that, although being somewhat hard to differentiate from the efforts of alternative demo-level DJ’s, is at least a step above your average Joe on Bandcamp with a synthesizer. Interspersed across 15 minutes of his debut EP Céladore, is a cavalcade of minimalistic dreamy synths, skipping basslines and carefully implemented beats. Although the four tracks are certainly joined together on a characteristic level, the stylistic decisions are more distinguishable and dissonant. Opener “Peach Princess” surrounds us with lavish waves of digitised synths that almost border on Chiptune-esque, and presents us with a perplexingly chopped-up, yet transfixing repetitive melody, creating an atmosphere that is both sensual and eerie at the same time. The combination effectively sets the mood of the album, as the listener continues to be whisked away by the lucid dream sequences that Colville manufactures with the next three tracks.
The main appeal however throughout most tracks is Colville’s approach to psychedelia, which is achieved through his unconventional pacing and sense of progression. The production feels hazy and ominous, with the mounting layers of synths becoming more and more distorted as Céladore goes by, until eventually becoming rather acidic in the closing track “Yoamy”, which reeks of late-90’s tribal-influenced videogame music. The beats meanwhile hold a steady pattern, and serve their purpose to accentuate the power of the melodies, without seeming overly-complex.
Ultimately though, the general appeal of listening to Céladore is Colville’s lush production, which bases itself on minimalism, but is varied and endearing enough to never feel dragging or overlong. On the contrary, Colville’s debut is a brief, but ultimately worthwhile dream sequence that offers up a quick, but impressionable demonstration of Colville’s evident influences and drive to succeed in such an alienating genre.
