Review Summary: I suppose this doesn't make sense: Chaos never sounded so odd.
In my fairly tired state after work Hrvatski creeps in my music player. Hrvatski for namesake means literally “Croatian”. The man behind the insane chaos of music is Keith Fullerton Whitman. The man released Swarm & Dither in 2002 under µ-Zig’s well-known label Planet Mu. He recently decided to record under his own name.
What truly makes Hrvatski interesting is the various types of sounds capes, hilariously odd voices, and chaotic nature in most of his tracks that interlude with his beats. Take the intro track for example dubbed “Vatstep DSP”. It starts out as general as any Electronic/IDM track can be, but goes on with a rush of odd lyrics by a robot. Eerie noises get louder in the beginning and the rush of drum breaks comes through with a nice rhythm….and then you’re completely surprised by an odd entrance of a robot singing about. As quickly as the voice started it is replaced with Breakcore beats that are associated with a “meow” noise in the background – until the robot voice re-appears. What makes it so powerful is the fact you really don’t notice the beats instead focusing on the robot’s lyrics, but when the “meow” sound comes into play it is totally opposite. The fact that it changes the direction of the music so quickly is interesting and somewhat addicting.
Hrvatski manages to connect the album together early on with a more mellow “Paint It Black”. As quickly as you are magnetized by “Vatstep DSP”, Hrvatski manages to grasp your mind and lower its state to drowsiness. The entanglements of each track and what contains are somewhat overburdening. “Paint It Black” has some rough spots most notably in the latter half. It seems to tread on longer than need be. The track enters various forms of IDM forms and then ceases to exist.
Many of the tracks in this album really love to get you sucked in believing it will be a mellow, laid-back, relaxing track and rip you right in two. “2nd Zero Fidelity Mandible Investigation” does a complete 180 in the span of 10 seconds, and another 60 after that! Chaos at its best! Each layered track on this album takes a form of an emotional endurance test and we are rewarded. Not because the tracks are any way excellent, but because with each follow-through listen we are entangled with it. Every chaotic form of music and Breakcore has an equal sum of electronic bliss. It may be the fact that Hrvatski decides to layer his music with such chaos and somewhat complexity that we find it to be a ride of fun. This type of ride seems enthralling and it sticks with you within most of the album.
Whitman loves to overextend the chaos in most of this album and sometimes when we find a more consistent track like “Marbles” and “Echoes” we are somewhat disappointed. The biggest gripe most people will have on this album has to be the fact it loves to move around so much. It takes odd directions within the tracks that are chaotic. I suppose if you love chaos you’ll find this immensely interesting. Whitman does decide to add consistently in some places and while I find it to be appropriate for that track it seems to pull down the album heavily. "Carrot" seems to be the odd-one out. It is very consistent, but is so ear pleasing it seems no one can turn their back on it no matter how out of place it seems.
Swarm & Dither does stay in the realm of Breakcore in some aspects, but pushes its limits by adding odd samples and noises in between the tracks to detract the listener. “Ewc3” can be pointed at as the perfect instance considering it starts relatively even and ends on a completely odd note of swarm noise. Looking back at the album cover in its dead-wooden bird pose with a pool of blood by it, I find myself wondering. Could this be the way we all feel? I think that’s what Hrvatski is trying to convey in this music, that our lives are full of chaos. These could be blissful moments, unsettling moments, and violent moments.
Best Track:
“Carrot (Hrvatski’s Nightvision)
Recommended Tracks:
“Vatstep DPS”
“2nd Zero Fidelity Mandible Investigation”
“Re: When Was The Last Time You Were Violent?”
“Ewc4”
