Album of the Week #4
Robohands — Shapes.
When my friend Ryan asked me to review this album I was intrigued. I haven’t listened to much ambient or jazz music in years, much less with this degree of instrumentation. If anything, this was an opportunity to broaden my horizon and challenge myself to analyze something a little different.
Robohands, the project of London-based multi-instrumentalist Andy Baxter, is a healthy blend of jazz, ambient and krautrock (according to himself). After a successful release and reception of Green in 2018, Shapes dropped a few weeks ago in mid-January.
One of the first things that struck me about this record is multi-faceted it was with its themes and the inspiration. Many of the drum tracks seem to almost draw from classic hip hop beats, with triplet flows and rhythmic bass drums, as well as the sparse guitar lines felt almost to have a shoegazy elements to them, without the effects of course.
At first, there is a temptation to get overwhelmed, perhaps marooned in this record. It’s complicated, yet it's not; it's messy and complex, but it isn't. The intricate and technical instrumentation create a soundscape that paints a detailed picture as you listen, one brushstroke at a time. Each track is a short story in itself, and Shapes seems to play with these bursts of musical narration quite a bit.
One of the aspects of Baxter’s composition I find quite compelling is his use of distance. Particularly on the opening track, We’re From Nowhere, where the central melodies of this driving guitar and thumping drums are accentuated by occasional flurries of a flute solo off into the distance. It’s a call and acknowledgement rather than a call and response. This is also featured quite heavily in Leaves which also has this duality of presence and distance with echoing and ambient choral leads reverberating around the song. This use of dynamic creates a certain depth to his music that is hard to describe but enjoyable to experience.
Baxter also tends to start with quiet introductions to his songs, often with a single guitar or synth lead, rapidly swelling and growing like a rolling wave. It’s very linear and encompassing; a start, a middle and a familiar end if you will. This further adds to this idea that these songs are self-contained stories, meant to evoke some sense of familiarity to the listener. A particular favourite of mine is Villains. Which feels almost tailor-made for a Sean Connery spy flick or Casa Blanca romantic film noir. Opening with this lovely classical guitar line (again far away and quiet), the bass and ominous chiming of cymbals make way for dark resonant saxophone lick. With splashes of discords from the piano, it creates a sense of dread and gravity. Its tracks like these that I feel would not go amiss in a King Krule record, or even one of the interludes at a Standing on the Corner set.
While it is fair to say that ambient and instrumental projects have a tendency to be “out there” (take from that what you will), Robohands has this ability to package it into something conceptual and thematic with each song. Shapes is exactly what it states; an exploration into the ever-evolving soundscapes, that consistently push the boundary with each bar. It’s a case study on just how music can be nothing but structured chaos that invokes emotion.
It’s a little bit more than just a follow-up chock full healthy jazz licks, complex, layered instrumentation and choppy rhythms. It is an establishment of Baxter’s style and a signature of his musicality. It is a record that follows its name to a T, and takes care not to overstate its purpose. Robohands is coming into his own on this record, and perhaps in some cases, self-aware.
Fav Tracks: Villains, Odysea, Leaves, We’re From Nowhere
You can listen to it on Bandcamp here.
This is a weekly series I’m doing to help me think more critically about the music I listen to and get better at writing about it. These selections are suggestions from friends and random recommendations, with a focus on newer releases. Any and all feedback/suggestions/artists you want me to cover is welcome and appreciated!
