Assembler / Assembler 2

Sandwiched between a pair of 2003 records, 10th and Songbook, Assembler isn't a record for the beat-freaks or the indie kids. Instead, Takemura pays homage to musique concrète composers of the past with a set of free-form tone poems. Astonishingly described by Takemura himself as being "filled with melodies and even harmonies," Assembler encompasses a parade of untraceable sample sources and field recordings, most of them organized into bursts of squelchy static. Though this isn't an accessible work, even by the standards of most experimental acts he's associated with, Takemura shows a surprising ease at translating his programming talents here, just as he had previously in the fields of experimental techno and indie pop. Dedicated listening to Assembler proves his claims about the record's melodic power, with a set of tones and pitches organized into compelling listening.