- Prolific Russian Alexey Devyanin is best known for his Pixelord project, which produced an album, Places, earlier this year. That LP neatly summarised Devyanin's style of melodious electronica, which skips deftly between styles without putting deep roots into any. For its followup Devyanin pulls another name from his grab bag of aliases: Computer Graphics, a home for muzzy house music. The CCCP EP takes its inspiration from "Soviet social and science films, animations and cassette tapes from an era long gone." It's deliciously nocturnal and vague music, shot through with nostalgia, though it still has a sugary zing common to most of Devyanin's music.
The EP's six tracks work with a limited palette: tumbledown house grooves, warbly pads, tape hiss. On opener "CCP" and "itsnotaboutcomputers," paternalistic Russian voices call to mind an earlier age of broadcasting. Devynanin paints his world convincingly but, as ever, with light brushstrokes. Tracks tend to be bite-sized, and their most surprising moments are often glossed over ("Downloading"'s frantic breakdown is considerably more interesting than the torpid track it interrupts). Things become more compelling as Devyanin nears the edges of his chosen territory. "Make_Me_Juice" sways with the menace of dark garage; closer "Virtual Race" is stiff-limbed dub at the opening, but loosens up as it goes.
Tracklist01. CCCP
02. Downloading
03. Itsnotaboutcomputers
04. Make_me_juice
05. Virtual Race