Millipede - Powerless

I have been gnawing on this album since I got it over a week ago debating how to go about encapsulating it. Due to the large amount of ground it covers, this has proven to be a daunting task. If you're a fan of Millipede, this release does not necessarily have a direct line of connection with his previous long-player 'All My Best Intentions'. You see, each track on 'Powerless' finds Don Hill collaborating with a different musical entity. The first one finds him bumping along in almost electro territory with Caul. Brian Grover appears next with Millipede on 'Synovial Damage' and damaging this one is, if you have preconceived notions about what's going on; very haunting and relentlessly empty in tone. Nice usage of echoes on the part of the band and my word, Grover employs some Khoomei techniques for his bit! 'Powerless' is no by the numbers batch of crap remixes. All of this material is newly composed and then added to by the act in question. You won't find a more perfectly executed case of symmetry this year from anyone else.

Candle Nine and the ever-resonant Access to Arasaka appear as side-men to Hill on the epic exercise in melody and tone: 'Darkest Night'. Arasaka's contributions are listed as unspecified but I'm pretty sure I can work out what he did on this one, let's see if you can. It's a free for all free-form cry of 'banzai!' to be perfectly candid about what this one song is to me. Nothing is kept in check, the layers of sonic interplay between these three artists combine to form a vividly audible explosion of radiating potency. Each listen reveals more detail, more depth, more exceptional usage of the spaces between notes to bring forth the hidden majesty that all too often is buried by most with clever edits or punchy bass. This is terribly fragile work but like a spider's web, the resiliency is second to none.

You won't even feel the net close around as 'No Place to Stand' crawls out of the walls to cement itself in your skull. Lucidstatic really do some incredible things on this one, I can close my eyes and feel something besides my corneas moving behind the lids. I just wonder why it is that a veritable revolution of sound is going on, and has been going on, on the Hymen label and garners such limited response. They have not put out one bad thing yet, which is an amazing feat and testament to those who run this label. But back to Millipede, apologies for wandering there... it's unfortunate that this thing is too short. My one, solitary complaint is that it could have gone on for another twenty to thirty minutes and I wouldn't have minded a bit. For those who are wondering why Hecq aren't on this one, he already executed a superb remix on "All My Best Intentions".

Is there a message to be found on 'Powerless'? A wry insight, a nuanced revelation of human intent? The message is right to the point: if you don't own anything by Millipede, procure some immediately. Don Hill is going to be regarded highly for this one. I'm rather pleased to be listening to his journey as it unfolds with each release. Mar 11 2011