Reason Isn't Radar

The debut album of Lid Emba falls in the new age ambient experimental electronic music category, where rhythms and structures lose their visibility and the motif remains more on the constant investigation of tonal atmospheres as the compositions progress. On one hand, the grungy raw sound of this eight-track offering points to the use of traditional, non-sophisticated equipment; yet the glitch noises indicate complicated computer-generated music. An interesting fact to note about this album is that, though Sean Moore's infatuation with drums is exemplified throughout (he is a member of a rock band), the collection overrides any rock-influenced undertones with its excellent endeavors fusing outright noise with ambient psychedelic sounds. Casual listeners might draw comparisons with the minimalist approaches of Robert Hood, yet more or less indiscernible structures limit this comparison to songs like "Memory Merchant" and "Pardon Me, Claude." For that matter, songs like "Rib Cage," "Butterwings," and "Resin Rains" might sound close to the noisy, ambient-paced approaches of greats like DJ Spooky and John Cage, yet the whole inconspicuous style adheres Lid Emba to unregulated divergence. Moreover, it's more the intelligent use of technology and equipment rather than sampling that makes this album uniquely styled, in contrast to most of Lid Emba's contemporaries. The closing track, "Ghost of Sand Train," might well be singled out as a representative single here. Though it sounds noisy and chaotic upon the first few spins, the album becomes relaxing and ambient with repeated listening.