Long awaited electro-fueled techno from the Subconscious Communications contributor.
The full length debut of Kone is something that has been in anticipation for a long time. Once hailed as "basement tech artist" way back when on the Subconscious Communications seminal compilation Paradigm Shift and eventually proven to be none other than Phillip Western armed with an 808 and an Eventide. Here we are almost 10 years later and the full length release has seen the light of day. It must be noted that the art direction of the album is in a similar fashion to Mr. Western's 2007 solo album 4am in the fact that there is this whole psychedelic '70s-looking pornographic style or cover art. Where Western's 4am was full of psychedelic space rock influence, Cirrhotic Psychotic is a pure electro-driven album. It's easy to draw a comparison and say that Kone is similar to PlatEAU, but while Western composes hypnotic grooves on both projects, with Kone he really uses some harsher and more experimental sounds with tracks like "Spare Part Heart" and "Mound." It appears Western has armed himself with more dedicated gear than just the 808 and Eventide. It's actually interesting to see what specific electronic instruments Kone uses for the creation of this release as the gear list/studio shot can be seen on the MySpace page. While this release is new and a bit different than some of his other projects, there are moments where you hear some of Phil Western's signature sounds - certainly there are those sweeps and analog pads that made Download's III so brilliant.
Perhaps what really keeps this album fresh is that fact that Kone shows you that even in 2008, you can still make techno music and you can make it sound interesting, fun, and provocative. Mechanical, grooving, and under expert craftsmanship, there's no question that the once called DJ Philth is a master at crafting Detroit techno-inspired music. With the entirely different electronic music genres out there in this day and age, when one says "techno," the trendy people sneer at it, while people like Kone embrace it and show that it is still something more than just audio wallpaper. It's a no-brainer to say that Cirrhotic Psychotic is a must have for Download and PlaEAU fans, but this is a great way to kick off 2008 for fans of trance, IDM, and of course Detroit techno. The highlight of this record is the track "Tag," which alone is enough to get even the snobbiest critic to bob their head and maybe - just maybe - move those feet and shake that backside. Kone has finally arrived and it must be said in limited release. One can see this album being highly sought after in a few years when it's going to be going for Coil prices since it would no longer be available. This is also a great start for people who may have heard Phil Western's name and would like to really get an idea of his style. Seeing how this is a limited pressing, it's a highly recommended way to hear the sounds of 2008.
By: David E. Flick
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Re:Gen Magazine
Kone - "Cirrhotic Psychotic" CD
California-based multi-instrumentalist Phil Western is probably best known as half of
experimental electronica groups Download and Plateau. But on this solo
recording, Western more than proves that his prowess as a programmer
and composer may even surpass these better-known, critically-acclaimed
projects. Kone's premise is music created with only a simple setup of
primitive electronic gear - a kind of no frills, balls-out approach to
techno, you might say. And with such tight grooves as the almost
acidic 'Movies On My House', this idea works quite well. Recalling the
robotic demeanor of Kraftwerk, and gene-splicing in some glitchy
minimalist funk by way of Detroit, these crisp and accessable tracks
thump and sizzle, while also summoning some nicely ambient textures
along the way (as on the lovely retro-stylings of 'Terrible News').
'Mound (Fully Conscious Mix)' is a jagged and noisy eardrum-rattler
that pummels like prime Aphex Twin, and similarly, 'Whoa War Wow',
like most of this recording, is actually too manic for most
dancefloors. Consider it prime electronic listening music for those
with a hankering for something more, eh, corrosive. A really fine
recording here, and respect to Mr. Western on a job well-done, indeed. (The Record Company)
Todd Zachritz
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