Patten - Psi '2016/2019

Tracks list

Tracklist:

[3:06] 01. Patten - Locq
[3:54] 02. Patten - Sonne
[2:22] 03. Patten - Dialler
[4:06] 04. Patten - Used 2 b
[4:05] 05. Patten - True Hold
[2:02] 06. Patten - Pixação
[3:49] 07. Patten - Blade
[5:15] 08. Patten - Epsilon
[3:52] 09. Patten - The Opaque
[2:44] 10. Patten - Cache
[2:43] 11. Patten - Yyang
[2:18] 12. Patten - 51-61-6

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AllMusic Review by Paul Simpson
Psi is London-based pattens third full-length, second for Warp, and first since
becoming a duo rather than a solo project (the two artists refer to themselves
only as D and A). Compared to previous patten releases, this one strips away
some of the haze, resulting in something much tighter and more focused than the
blown-out, sideways-glancing abstract techno of prior albums GLAQJO XAACSSO and
ESTOILE NAIANT. The switch from cluttered, tinny textures to a more bass-centric
sound and more spacious sonic arrangements might be a bit jarring to anyone
familiar with those albums, but ultimately its a welcome change, as this album
contains some of pattens strongest material. The sporadic, mutated beats are
influenced by grime, footwork, and the deconstructed club sounds of labels like
Fade to Mind and PAN, and theyre often punctuated by the sounds of smashing
glass, static bursts, rapid edits, glitches, and other interruptions. As warped
and fractured as the album sounds, the addition of As vocals frame the songs in
more of a pop context. Granted, her vocals are still a bit distorted, and the
lyrics are often fragmentary and delivered in a flat monotone, so this isnt
anywhere close to mainstream pop (even though the duo acknowledge Rihanna as an
influence). Ds garbled, distorted vocals previously appeared on some patten
songs, but they only surface on Yyang here. As obscured as the vocals and lyrics
are, they still serve to humanize the music. The lyrics are printed in the
albums packaging, and they express fear and uncertainty, but also an odd sense
of self-discovery and even encouragement. The album strikes a good balance
between immediacy and abstraction, with beats and bass tones that grab the
listeners attention and several other layers of meaning and aural details that
require deeper examination. As with any patten release, it takes a few listens
to wrap your head around what theyre doing, but taking the effort to decode
their work proves to be incredibly rewarding.




Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Warp Records Limited
Copyright (c) – Warp Records Limited
Published By – Warp Publishing

Credits
Art Direction – 555-5555
Design – Jane Eastlight
Mastered By – Beau Thomas
Producer – Patten (2)
Written-By – Patten (2)

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