VONDISY - VONDISY 2 (FOIL)
- The Slow Music Movement
- May 16
- 2 min read
VONDISY is the latest collaborative pseudonym of New York's Kodomo (Chris Child) and Micah Frank, both semi-regulars in TSMM's page for their individual and group projects, often released through Frank's Puremagnetic label. VONDISY 2 sees them spreading their wings to fellow NYC progressives, the FOIL imprint, and deep mining unrepentant electronic territory, and in the case of their debut, quite urgent and disquieting strains as well.
Volume 2 is a somewhat less abrasive, but by no means relaxing listen, if you're looking for a soundtrack to your slipper clad moments look away now. Saying that the EP opens in a relative gentle manner with some brighter tonal electronica that spreads its warmth and sparkle over the incoming low frequency rumbling from a docking space freighter, further augmented by some autumnal synths blowing in from the north.
"Vella" starts life with a cavernous, Berlinesque synth motif, soon buffeted again by those northern synths, although not enough to disturb its hypnotic insistence. Suspenseful 80's soundtrack snippets and some sort of crackle from a loose connection increase the density bit by bit, although by now you're sufficient locked into the initial rhythmic noise to worry too much about the darkening clouds. "Suspension States" sees the duo adding some beats for the first time and allowing a bit of air into the studio, not that there is any clear daylight in the well crafted soundscape, just that you don't need a knife to cut it this time.
The EP heads back to Berlin for its parting shot with some dub technoid downtempo to test your speaker choice and make you contemplate buying a sub-woofer. The soundscape soon closes back in with waves of pleasing distortion, a sporadic bass drum, crackles that leak into the echo chamber and layer on layer of cinematic and swarming electronica that build to quite the crescendo before inexplicably dissipating to reveal that submerged riddim once more - a fine conclusion to this shadowy, impeccably crafted electronic transmission. Until volume three.
Playlist Companion
Find VONDISY casting some shadows the Slowtronic playlist:
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