Daedelus – Of Snowdonia (Plug Research)

I’m not sure if anyone’s noticed it yet, but electronic music has become almost as regurgitated and boring as rock music currently is. It’s far too easy for kids with enough money to buy the necessary tools to replicate some of the pioneers of the genre, and it’s led to a barrage of substandard releases that people still consider great. I’m sorry, but if I hear another “brilliant ambient” record that’s 50 minutes of droning noise, I might spontaneously combust. Fennesz, I’m looking at you.

Luckily, a breath of icy fresh air arrives in Daedelus’ Of Snowdonia. A challenging and off-putting record at first, Snowdonia is a slow-grower—not an addictive record like some of his peers may release, but a collection of musical scraps that eventually forms a cohesive and dreamy whole.

Daedelus is the epitome of the adage about one man’s trash being another’s treasure. Simple samples are put together in mass quantity, creating a shockingly beautiful result. What’s shocking is that these samples, on their own, are virtually nothing—and so distinct from each other (IDM blends seamlessly with folk and jazz for the most part) that most of the modern crop of average DJ’s wouldn’t be able to conceive even one track with these materials if they had to, let alone an entire album.

Unfortunately, like his previous releases, the album lacks a certain knock-out element, and for that I’m afraid Daedelus might never receive any major recognition. This flaw keeps him steadily entrenched in the second tier, below the more hip-hop oriented Prefuse 73 and Rjd2 or electronic Air. But I guess the battles are won in the trenches, and Of Snowdonia is a minor victory. I’m still waiting for Daedelus to put it all together, but in the meantime Of Snowdonia makes enough noise to warrant attention.

Daedelus mp3s available via Epitonic.