This album couldn’t have fallen on more welcoming ears. From top to bottom, this split exudes fantastically noisy, cluttered soundscapes, minimalist structures and enough sonic nuance to sustain interest throughout. kptmichigan opens the first half with the excellent Bluster, an audio onslaught of noise/drone mastery, lined with subtle percussive residue and delicate sample manipulation. This mastery is most palpable (and palatable) during brash transitions from one textural cluster to the next. Lippischer Sommer displays comparable flair for evocative, engaging harmonic material, varnished with gritty, ruffled production. The second half belongs to Black Stepdad, who continues in similar style and standard. Somehow, the tracks feel weightier, perhaps owing to more active harmonic movement on drone bedding. Imagine dark industrial sounds from Cluster’s 71 album fused with the understated musical depth of Alog or Benoît Pioulard, and you’re not far off. Hugely enjoyable, sensitively-conceived work, can’t wait to hear more. ST
kmbsd.thelowsandthehighs.co.uk/album/kptmichigan-black-stepdad
