Genre: IDM / Downtempo

Track Listing:

01 Traces
02 Conduit
03 Pachinko
04 Object Not Found
05 Closing In
06 Pica
07 Blanchot
08 Data Pocket
09 Pantone
10 Bracken
11 Hikari
12 Moiré
13 Casiotonic (Reason Or Romanza Remix)
14 Scattered (Electricwest Remix)
15 Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)


Over thirty albums and one consolidated label in just four years just imagine that. Pretty hectic huh? Well, the man behind Cheju project and Boltfish recordings has not been losing time for sure. Wil Bolton is certainly a dedicated individual to sonic adventure and that is explicit on his recent Cheju creation and third album released on his label. “Broken waves” comes as the attester from this effort. What we have here is an advanced IDM explorer, filling the bag with all the possible magical wonders that the generic world from electronica may give. From highly intelligent break beat to cerebral downtempo and some melancholic post rock harmonies rounded with several other electronic spices you will find Cheju as one of the leaders from the classic IDM school.

The interest for melody is evident since the very commence. Complex arrangements stand as the centre that commands each track development and from there on the song structure is constructed in a very solid way, the accompaniments are fluent and exquisite, proportionally delicate and pertinent and body of sound from the work is varied and sound supremely authentic. Apparently real instruments take special incidence in the creation of the melodic lines from some songs, Guitar & bass lines are prominent as well as drum sets, presenting a organic sound that has a sensual warmth and achieves an immediate link with the listener. The starter “Traces” for example immediately introduce a Spanish guitar dissected in an impressive demonstration of glitch expertise. The organic texture manifested by the guitar sounds alien with the segmentation produced by the glitch partition, this effect produce a magical sonority, completely autochthonous for what ultimately constitutes Cheju idiosyncrasy. Another appreciation that conforms the character from this work is its warmth body of sound equally distributing chill out like textures with welcoming rhythmic sections and an incredible array of sound accompaniments ranging from noises, clicks and pops to pulsations preserving a very minimal aesthetic.

Cheju’s logic for rhythm remains indispensable to administer the balance from each track, the rhythmic are often fixated but suffer tonality changes and synthesis variation, an aspect that gives the music a constant aspect of mutation joined with the magnificent and clear sonority of the melodies. Nevertheless it is on the melodic lines where the listener will find the principal charm from the work, especially coming from the fact of the melodic variation for each track denotes diversification and induce aural seduction by avoiding repetitiveness. “Broken waves” centre is very relaxed, somehow melancholic (Not extremely accented on this aspect though) and works a strange effect on the mind, an hybrid sensation that is both tranquillity and alertness.

Necessary to highlight how the old school electronica represented in the IDM conception expressed in this work is rejuvenated and ultimately connotes an smartly chosen contemporary compendium that is more planted in the logic from this epoch. Oriental like melodies colliding with chill out sonorities “Pachinko”, post rock sensibilities and break beat cadences “Data pocket” with the supreme Shoegaze intermezzo (probably one of the best tracks), Glitch minimalisms and micro rhythms colliding in downtempo melodies and finally squeezed with rhythmic noise pulses “Object not found” or the pure space flotation and dreamy mood from “Closing in” synthesizing spatial ambient with minimal glitch or the quasi gothic and rhythmically magnified remix track “Casiotronic” presenting what sounds like a ghostly clavichord accompanied by jungle arrhythmia. Not to mention the symphonic flirts found on “Blanchot” melodic backgrounds rhythmically augmented by micro/macro break beats.

“Broken waves” comes as the ultimate sound adventure from Cheju, exemplifying not only their ability to blend ambience and intrepid multi generic rhythmic bases but as evidence of the more futuristic aspect from the IDM reign, exposing its evolution and adaptation to the new century challenges and ultimately synthesizing the many forms and contexts it may have had introduced to its own quest. High IQ chill out music!