- Jarvik Mindstate—named after Robert Jarvik, the inventor of the artificial heart, a self-contained, integrated pneumatic unit—conceptually fuses man with machine, theorising Tom Ford's interplay with synthesis structurally, as he forges forward, humanising the computer's array of voices and timbres. Those familiar with Ford, AKA Peverelist, and his work will no doubt have already noted his pristine command of space, his hankering for the bass heavy feel of dub music and his habit of drawing out melodic evolutions for eons; and it is undoubtedly these factors that make this collection of songs so potent.
"Esperanto" opens the work with a fanfare; horns that pitter out through delay into a rupturous onslaught of bass and an exceedingly erratic synth line that skids and squeals in equal parts. "Bluez" wanders a similar path, bubbling through sharp chords and into a headstrong mix of bass pulses and fleeting percussion that hits sparingly, de-regimenting things with a glorious slither of chaos; much like the title track, which flicks through weighted chord colours and into measured percussion that drives the track feverently, whether by the gallop of kick drums or the sublime addition of offbeat ride cymbals.
"Yesterday I Saw the Future" may indeed personify Ford's puzzling approach to percussion perfectly, all pummels of loaded kick drums over chattering hi-hats, as the concerto of slaps and flammed virtual drum skins fizz into being, but the epic skip of "Clunk Click Every Trip," the headfuck synth lines of "Infinity Is Now" and the upbeat funk of "Not Yet Further Than" truly make this album the varied and precise work it deserves to be recognised as.
Despite its complexities, Ford's approach to music-making seems delightfully linear and his on-album modesty—only nine tracks—goes a long way to juxtapose his studio workings. Jarvik Mindstate is positively bulging with character, swelling with the kind of intrinsic rhythm that you just can't teach or learn. At times it drives a jagged shank into the notion of "dubstep," stumbling away from the altercation over the course of the album, ending up as far away from it as could be possible. Quite often though, the most amazing thing about Peverelist's music is that he makes it work; elements that on paper would clash horribly combine to form the kind of overtly stylish and smooth productions you could only attribute to an avid experimentalist.
Tracklist 01. Esperanto
02. Revival ft. Pinch
03. Bluez
04. Jarvik Mindstate
05. Yesterday I Saw The Future
06. Infinity Is Now
07. Not Yet Further Than
08. Valves
09. Clunk Click Every Trip