n/a: All Day Long

(M-Plant)

"a2" [62k RealAudio]

Okay. A 12" single with no artist and no track names -- as if it's not already difficult to review music without lyrics! It's not like this EP needs any more mystery -- the opening cut is much more sinister than anything I've heard from M-Plant so far, with a wet, perforated rhythm, a bassline reminiscent of Suburban Knight and a bizarre "stroke of midnight" chime setting the pace. The real culprit is the way the four-note melody adheres to the ticking beat, creating the foundation for a powerfully hypnotic track.

The second offering on All Day Long was previewed live in Detroit about a year ago in Rob Hood's set, and the same mix and feel is preserved here, complete with the preceding jazz interlude. Even with zig-zagging melodies and a off-kilter snare, there's again a tight integration between the beat and the other sounds. It's as if Hood has stumbled upon some theory of fractional mathematics and applied it to his sequencing.

Though the B-side opens with a brilliant little piano loop & effects workout, it's the last track that will catch most ears. This one is a classic example of what the so-called "minimal" techno movement seems to emphasize: breathing room. Techno's always made use of space and precision, but tracks like this wouldn't be possible without them -- Hood issues forth a gorgeous triad of contrasting and interlocking melodies atop a even-keeled (read: not overcommitted) beat. Like the rest of All Day Long and a large part of the M-Plant portfolio, techno of this variety is immediately engaging and deceptively simple. -DS