Rrose: Pretinal (Eaux)

Rrose picks up the torch of Sandwell District with his own label, Eaux. Preretinal is the first new EP to hit shelves (alongside reissues of all of his Sandwell District releases for those who missed ‘em the first time around). It’s pretty reliable stuff. Rrose’s knack for minimal grooves is in full effect here: “23 Lashes” is a monster of a track that starts off unassumingly enough, all kick and bleep pulse, before it swells into something more looming and ominous. Nary a sound is out of place here, as is usually the case with his material; everything is just right, even the moaning, detuned drones that close it out. “Prism Guard” continues in the same vein, largely detuned bleeps that exist somewhere between tones and percussive sounds interweaving over a steady kick. The flanged evolution of percussive sounds into tones and then into David Tudor-esque squawks is particularly satisfying. This combination of non-melodic patterns and sweeping atmosphere just below the surface are part of Rrose’s signature sound, and he’s exploiting them here to great results.

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