Positive Pop

After notable collaborations with technoid artist Imminent (on Screenwalking), and their own double-CD release So What, Synapscape'sPositive Pop was definitely a release that was going to come under scrutiny. Positive Pop moves in the middle ground between all points of the noise genre. Tracks drift fluidly from atmospheric soundscapes (such as the release's opening, "Ammunition"), creations that border on ambience ("Smogue"), and a solid technoid style ("Thirsteater") that sports complexity beyond the patterned loops of artists such as Sonar. Never does Synapscape deliver a purpose-built dancefloor noise track — nothing on Positive Pop is quite that simple. This does not mean that some tracks would not be comfortable there, however. On occasion, distorted vocals underscore a blend of sonic layers that are moving harmoniously against each other. Gradual changes infiltrate structures that Synapscape feel free to adopt or abandon. The texture of the noise itself describes a gravity, rather than an outright aggression (unlike Ant-Zen contemporaries such as Converter). This may not make it the most difficult listening out there, but Positive Pop is a detailed and well-realized release that stays interesting. Ant-Zen has also released a strictly limited-edition boxed set featuring additional original and remix material, the latter featuring artists such as Asche, Imminent, and Converter. This edition is the one to choose if opportunity knocks.