theodore and hamblin

The Scientific Contrast

It always strikes me as a little odd when artists are described as 'mysterious', I always think that they must wander around the supermarket with dark glasses, a fake beard and a trenchcoat on, hoping not to be spotted by that one IDM fan desperate for a chat about the pros and cons of file-sharing. Theodore and Hamblin are the latest in the extended line of electronic artists desperate to hide behind shadowy aliases and are touted as being two German producers in search of the 'classic' electronica sound that has now all but gone. Funny really because it doesn't really sound that German at all, in fact it has the distinct whiff of a certain nautically themed Moteer double-act, but I suppose like The Tuss and Astrobotnia, it could all be fakery and rumour. I might be totally wrong and 'The Scientific Contrast' could very easily be a collection of twelve perfectly formed melodic electronic micro-symphonies produced by a couple of very shy Deutchlanders, but you know, where's the fun in that? I'd rather point the finger at someone else and since there's no info online (give me photo evidence please) I'm going to go straight to the heart of the matter and implicate anyone and everyone I feel like... in fact I'm now thinking that this could indeed be the rumoured collaboration between Richard D. James, Stravinsky, Hood and Autechre... but it probably isn't. Oh well let's move on to how the album sounds, pretending that something is Aphex Twin shouldn't be all that important - and 'The Scientific Contrast' sounds indeed totally lovely. This is the kind of electronic music we all used to like but now we're scared that someone might tell us it isn't trendy any more and doesn't fit in with our new metrosexual lifestyle, it's the kind of electronic music that makes it nice to just recline and enjoy without having to engage the old grey matter too much. It reminds me in fact that simplicity is sometimes a good thing, and although the record might be called 'The Scientific Contrast' and the tracks might be called such oblique things as 'Lelm' and 'Balmpe' (see, I told you it was Autechre) it's about as complex as a tramp's handshake. To put it in layman's terms, this is a lovely album from start to finish, and rather than attempt to re-invent the wheel, Boards of Canada (or was it Brian Eno? *cough*) put together an album that appeals to our innermost feelings. Lurvely, just remember - it's a secret!