As befits a work inspired by architecture, and especially the work of an artist who worked with sheet metal, there's nothing soft on
Stabiles.
Stewart Walker's first LP is a collection of ten stark tracks focused almost completely on the interplay between several different percussion lines with a small amount of echo applied to achieve the illusion of three-dimensional space. Except for faraway synth on a few tracks, every sound source is angular and incredibly precise. In a similar fashion to other minimal-techno architects (
Rob Hood,
Plastikman,
Steve Stoll),
Walker makes the most of his productions, weaving a half-dozen spare parts into complex, fascinating patterns that, in the end, don't even need accoutrements to sound great. ~ John Bush