GLAQJO XAACSSO is a fittingly obtuse name for London producer Patten's debut EP. The record-- full of scrambled sounds you recognize from elsewhere-- feels like it could exist in a parallel universe. The sensation of this music, which does have a peculiar thrill to it, can also be a frustrating riddle: At times, you'll want to dive into the waveforms and pull the fragments back into a right order and find some sense.
The collection's probably more engaging a concept or idea than straight-up listen, but there is fun to be had in the way the beats spin your head. Less concerned with the relentless drive into the future than some of his peers, Patten's forging a sound off the beaten path, cherry-picking past sounds and twisting them.
Much of the record finds Patten looking toward 1990s Warp acts. "Blush Mosaic" takes Boards of Canada's icy synths and softly pushes fast-forward, revving something glacial into something manic-- the aural equivalent of a stop-motion nature video. Vocals drift in and out as rhythms weave around each other. It's one of the record's strongest statements, and a track where Patten's sometimes unfocused energy comes together to make something engaging, trippy, and destroyed.
On "Fire Dream" there are shades of Plaid and Autechre, especially in the pale analog synths. Patten matches that patchwork with powdery hi-hats and head-knocking beats. It's not only piecemeal scraps of Warp influence in the music, though-- there's a general influence in attitude and approach. Even the baiting LP title seems like the kind of brick wall Richard D. James or Chris Morris would erect. That approach carries over to the source material: Nothing feels too holy for Patten to throw into the blender.
On the strongest moments, like "Blush Mosaic" and "Fire Dream", the bent circuitry is visceral and engaging, but there are instances where those loose rhythmic threads don't knot together so well. Take the motion-sick "Out the Coast", where the beats collapse into each other and don't quite blend with the rest of the action. It feels like there's something good buried within, but the effect is jarring and disorientating (not pleasantly so).
A problem with his whirlwind approach is that each idea's so quickly processed it can leave the results feeling too breathless or rushed. A nice moment passes so quickly that it immediately becomes a dot on the horizon. There also isn't a great deal of contrast on the record. And not a lot of warmth. It's here Patten strikes the biggest contrast with the artists he might be referencing or reminding you of: A great deal of music on that IDM spectrum that Patten picks apart has heart to it. On his Come to Daddy EP, for instance, Aphex Twin closes the record with the gorgeous "IZ-US". Likewise, Squarepusher, at his busiest on "Port Rhombus", pulls away the rhythmic carpet to reveal a lilting, lush guitar. There are no moments like this for Patten, and for all its movement, GLAQJO XAACSSO feels a little frozen.
