Autoclav 1.1 - Embark On Departure

To anyone familiar with Tony Young's Autoclav 1.1 project, the first trait that comes to mind is the rhythmic explorations this electronic artist has been honing throughout his career. On his sixth offering 'Embark on Departure' though, the rhythmic experiments seem to take the back seat, as if the artist rightfully feels to have explored that territory well enough, leaving more room to atmospheric arrangements and melodic piano lines that create a more laid back ambient record.

The opening track "Lights out" sets immediately the mood for what is about to come through the speakers; dry and glitchy beats that recall the noise rhythm past of the project, dreamy synth orchestrations that build an intense yet relaxed ambient landscape for the piano melodies that define the song's character. This unusual combination of soft melodies and harsh beats works well throughout the record and in all it's variations, from the more drum and bass driving beat of "Recent Conversation" to the darker and 90's sounding "No Running Away from This", becoming yet another testament to Tony Young's experimental ability. The only track that breaks this pattern is "Scars", where the laid back piano melodies leave room to harsh electric guitar stabs and the clean yet aggressive vocals of Klaus Larsen creating a dark industrial rock song that manages to both fit in this playlist and avoid sounding dated.

Overall "Embark on departure" is another success for Autoclav 1.1, another stepping stone in the evolution of a project that keeps moving towards new directions with each offering and always delivering something worth listening. This time around the music is less noisy and harsh compared to the past, but I'm sure this new ambient and more "cinematic" direction will manage to please longtime fans. The only wrinkle in this otherwise great record is it's inherent inability to capture and maintain the listeners attention. The seamless flow of the record, paired with the use of similar sounds throughout each song, take away some individual identity from each track (only exception being the aforementioned "Scars") building a single block listening experience that inevitably falls in the background. Not that this is a bad thing, considering how the record's chill out mood works well with the role of "background music", but some of the individual tracks contain some interesting elements that would deserve a more attention grabbing sonic treatment. Despite this Tony Young once again delivers the goods with this really enjoyable record that will definitely keep fans happy until he reveals his next move. Jul 18 2012