London electronic duo Subway formed in 2000, releasing three singles and 2005’s Empty Head album as a rare Soul Jazz artist signing. Their two tracks were highlights of the label’s recent singles compilation, suggesting that Michael Kirkman and Alan James were shifting their intricately-crafted productions from electro-tech to German cosmic rock. Their second album confirms this synthesised evolution but it wouldn’t be so simple to say they’ve ‘gone krautrock’. The pair’s influences, particularly Carl Craig-style Detroit techno, classic electro and European disco, have always been funnelled through their own personal visions and arsenal of analog gear. Sure the motorik grooves of tracks like ‘Persuasion’ and ‘Simplex’ recall Neu! but ‘Harmonia”s snake-like guitar pulsations evoke James’ Lou Reedish drone-rock excursions as The Tower while ‘XAM”s hall-of-mirrors ambience conjures late 60s Terry Riley. Inspired to portray the afore-mentioned cityscapes, the pair forget dancefloor tyranny to construct often-stunning electronic sound paintings, varying between growling and gauzy [‘Monochrome’], Moroderesque soundtrack territory [‘Horizons’] and internally swelling introspection [‘Delta II’]. ‘Jupiter’ is the only track to use a kick drum, leaving the rest of the album free to explore sonic vistas rarely touched in modern electronic music on one of the year’s understated gems.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
