Arovane

Although never quite reaching the somnolent splendor of Arovane's 2000 benchmark, Tides, this collaborative effort between Uwe Zahn (Arovane) and Eliot Perkins (Phonem) is an admirable compromise of subtle, evolving melody and digitally distorted rhythm. By breathlessly incorporating elements of glitch-hop, ambient, and techno, the duo has fashioned something simultaneously restless and unswerving in nature. With its flittering beats and nascent melodic washes, third track (and album centerpiece) "Valid Fard" is a glowing standout; unfortunately, AER (Valid) isn't always this inspired. Overlong album closers "Suffer" and "Decay" are bogged down by a surprising lack of development; this fact, when coupled with the album's relatively short running time, suggests that an EP might've been a more worthy venture. Even in spite of that, AER (Valid) comes with enough deft melodies and impressive digital sculpting to make it worth recommending. ~ Mark Pytlik, All Music Guide