limbus

Previously known for his drum-and-bass recordings under the name Sub, Austria-based Anma now focuses on more experimental recordings. “Limbus” is the result of two concepts that are experimental in the scientific sense, the sonic result of a couple of theoretical ideas based as much in programming theory as they are in creative inspiration.

The first half-hour of the hour-long work is “Limbus Patrum”, in four parts, built from self-generating modular patches. After the first part is a simple, slowly repeating electronic pulse with a rich and changing tail, from the second part things get a little more complex, relatively speaking, with some pitch changes forming proto-melodies- but the real beauty and interest again is in the tails, the space and resonance between the notes. This gets progressively more haunting and sci-fi as it develops across parts three and four, introducing dubby delays and sounding decidedly Radiophonic Workshop-esque at points, and when the notes go low and bassy, it’s especially lovely.

“Limbus Puerorum” is the second half, two fourteen-minute takes of a more structured piece of chilled-out electronica built predominantly around smooth keys and methodical chord progressions, that feel almost jazzy. These are book-ended frequency-wise by crisp and soft high noise bursts, and low subbassy pulses and hums that follow a half-speed techno rhythm all of their own, detached from and playing against the melody work.

Given the pay-what-you-want status of this release, there really is no reason not to check it out and enjoy an hours’ worth of earnest electronic experimentation in a fairly purist sense.