Object Asobi by: Steve Scully Mon:01-Oct-07 Label: Sensory Projects Year: 2007 WB rating 47 out of 100

Object is an artist aptly named: an object is a nameless, purposeless ‘thing’, non-specific and unidentifiable. The music made by Object is similar: a seemingly random collaboration of sounds, repetitive and with no truly distinguishing characteristics. The sounds come and go in waves, not a melody or discernable beat to be heard. The collection of effects is definitely captivating in its own way, their organisation soothing at times, but at its best it is background music; ambient, background noise to which something else should be set, either aurally or visually, for there to be any true effect. Suited perfectly to use as a soundtrack, a secondary work, the album itself simply does not work as the point of primary focus.

‘Be So’, the opening full-length track, whilst complex and beautifully produced, remains somewhat lifeless. Pulsating with electronic ambience, the heartbeat of the track is an electronic hum rather than beats. There is no doubt that the crisp, futuristic sound is beautifully rendered and textured, but it has little incisive element. Rather than cutting through and making itself known, making an impact in any way, it sits back and ambulates, works its way quietly and subtly through you, becoming one with the atmosphere. It might sound profoundly poetic in terms of cohesion, but the repetition, the only insignificant changes in make-up essentially lead to it becoming tiresome.

Some tracks more than others point towards Asobi’s promise as a beautiful film soundtrack. Asobi is akin, but inferior, to Cliff Martinez’s Solaris soundtrack, and Object tries his hand at evoking different emotional responses. ‘Tempered’ has a sinister edge undulating at a growing pace driven by the buzzing of electronics in the background. The static that invades the track at its mid-point adds a touch of chaos to this enormously controlled atmosphere: this moment of the uncontrollable, of the aurally displeasing is so perfectly contrasted with the lush synthesised strings and halcyon electronic haze. The track sputters to a stop, again emphasising this contrast. ‘Did they Speak’ is more of an uplifting track, incorporating higher registers, lending a more ethereal edge, whilst ‘So Be’ gracefully emerges from silence, almost bubbling away with unresolved tension.

The problem one faces with electronic music such as this is the lack of discernible human element – there is no real way to connect with it other than via abstract, intangible and indefinable emotional responses. Without any real melody, there is nothing that could serve to engrain itself in your memory, nor anything to truly distinguish one track from another. What we ultimately are faced with is an overlong experiment in contrivances: the electronic music, although exuding some sort of deconstructive chaos, is nonetheless inherently tightly controlled. This counteracts any relaxation-type effect of the album.

Asobi may be a beautiful sounding album, but there is nothing here that lifts it above the more impressive meditation or ‘mood music’. In the end, it merely displays a great deal of technical skill but a mediocre level of artistry.