Sounds like…

Pixeljunk Monsters if they grew a guitarist

The review

Lo-fi electronica can be really endearing when its given the sweet and tingly treatment. That is initially how I came at Australian producer Wu Cloud. His EP ‘Hitherto’ contains four tracks that reminds me of the minimalistic blips and clicks of the Pixeljunk Monsters series crossed with something that Injazero Records would put out. They love their minimalist noise music and I thought Wu Cloud would deliver on this feel. I was only half right.

The four tracks start off ‘Muqa’s Dream’ and ‘Malam Malam’ which do evoke that exact vibe I thought the album was going for. Gentle electric piano synths trickle around percussive noise samples and minutia glitch effects. It is both pretty and engrossing. It is super chill and lazy in that pillowy way I love. The latter track has an understated melodic wave to it as well, you could have it on in the background for ages and slowly zone out to it.

The latter two tracks take a very different twist but adding in a free-flowing jazzy electric guitar and some early 90’s synth work. It felt like I was going back to my old Casio keyboard with the really tinny and cheesy drum loops… only this time someone was jamming over the top of it. ‘Arrival’, the EP closer is a seven-minute wander that stops in its tracks without warning and I’m not really sure I understood it at all. I think its because the two sides of the music didn’t gel for me personally but I will certainly give it props for being a unique merger of sounds.

I think there is something here for Wu Cloud to expand and experiment with in the future. Experimental music by its very nature is going to divide opinion and just because it didn’t click for me personally, those wanting some free and easy guitar with their minimalist audio will definitely get more out of it than I did.

Recommended track: Malam Malam

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