It's amazing how when you strip down music to something a bit simpler and less cluttered than what we're used to hearing, it can sometimes become leagues more intricate. That is what Aaron Noel, aka Electronic Barnacle Island, has accomplished on his debut: captured an intricacy born of simplicity, and created familiarity in experimentation.

There is the inevitable comparison to Aphex Twin (probably because most reviewers aren't familiar with any other electronic projects), but Barnacle would likely feel more at home in the company of Coil, Locust, or even Books on Tape. Some really good beats happening (no pun intended) here, all with a groove and a style seldom found in modern electronica (or at least, the modern electronica I've heard). Definitely some real artistry here.

Make no mistake, this is a genre record for people who are into electronic music--not house or techno or dance, but what we used to call "electro-jazz": slightly groovy music made entirely without instrumentation, with closer ties to early industrial than the candy raver junk that people call electronic now. But if you are into the style, or if you're just into interesting, creative, new music, I highly suggest this one.

-Todd Berry