IAN O’Brian A History Of Things To Come (Peacefrog) Rating: NNNN
Rating: NNNN
British broken beat producer Ian O’Brian’s second album continues his exploration of the unlikely common ground between jazz funk fusion and Detroit techno. At times he sounds like a less manic Squarepusher — chopped-up jazz drum samples collide with angular melodies in odd time signatures and cold synth textures. Live instrumentation makes a few appearances in the form of percussion, flute and guitar, but this isn’t formulaic jazz house. O’Brian’s electro jazz is the perfect after-the-club soundtrack — mellow and musical without being too conservative.