Spectreview: Rian Treanor – ATAXIA

-LIGHT SLATE BLUE-

“I am boring, you are boring, we are boring, this is boring”

Electronic and dance artists working with largely instrumental pieces generally have one chance to convey extra meaning, through the use of titles. “Ataxia” is a dysfunction of voluntary muscle coordination usually brought about by degenerative disorders, and the symptoms often resemble drunkenness. If Rian Treanor means to make music that “makes people move in uncontrollable ways,” ataxia sounds like the flipside to a traditionally good time, but whether the title is an in-joke or biting commentary on club culture, his latest album does indeed get the body moving. He certainly attempts to put the I in IDM, layering cold synths under scatter-fire beats, aka the old Aphex Twin approach. “ATAXIA_A1” opens with a manifesto that exposes its subtle sense of humor, while “ATAXIA_B2” winds a sample of romantic Latin vocals into a legitimate groove. As an experimental dance album ATAXIA is intelligent, subversive and easy to get sucked into, whenever you can catch the downbeat.

Recommended right before peaking at the Lightbox.