Julien Ash appears to have taken up in-house artistic residency at Attenuation Circuit. In the past two years, Ash – more commonly advertised as Nouvelles Lectures Cosmopolites though often shortened to NLC – has published nearly a dozen full-length albums or compilation tracks under its imprint. On Peripheral, he teams up as he often has before with Christian Gonzalez aka Grosso Gadgetto, and the two have created an album that is anything but. In its widescreen glory, this double album reminds me of the music released by Sending Orbs artists like Kettel and Secede in the early 2000s. This is warm, sit-back-and-enjoy electronica, rhythmic and melodic and occasionally enhanced with violin (Jean-Paul Escudero) or flute (François Porte). It has bounce, it has verve, and it has range – its overall sunniness allows the duo to cast the odd shadow without appearing doomy dark. Peripheral takes you places and tells you stories. A summertime bike ride, a space oddity, a broad-shouldered, semi-industrial stomp – it flows effortlessly and has something for everyone.
Can’t imagine why Peripheral would not appeal to a broader, non-avant audience. So tell your friends.
Stephen Fruitman
Avant Music News 