A quite extraordinary album. Twenty Systems is a real synth heads dream, twenty tracks recorded on twenty different instruments, ranging from the early analogue instruments through to more modern Kawais. But before you turn your back on what could be looked at as a keyboard nerd’s dream, stay with it – as the music produced has a stark electronic beauty and intimacy that makes it a perfect late night listen. Where possible Benge (Ben Edwards) has tried to keep his own voice out of the compositional process, trying instead to show each machine and its capabilities, but that doesn’t mean the music leaves you cold. The minimalism in Benge’s ‘Polymoog’ track comes close to steel pan sounds in its warmth, while in the Yamaha CS80 (the tracklisting is peppered with manufacturer names) you can almost see the waveforms. Brian Eno described this as “a brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music”, and with an endorsement like that, you don’t need me to say any more!
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
