Ambientrance (US)

Yet another new microsound artist is unveiled on the mightily understated 12k label; Sogar (the nom-de-processing of one Jürgen Heckel) delivers Basal, a slightly glitchy tableau inhabited by teasing wraiths of almost-musicality. An especially intriguing blend!

In enigmatic beauty “Ker35”, sporadic motes and slithers are topped with a pretty-though-obtuse layer of cut-up chimes. A somehow slurpy rhythm spatters behind the ringing/rippling void of “PE” (2:42). Speckled with occasional pips of static, live recording “Dek Here” (9:31) alights into a steamy, shifting radiance pulsing with various levels of activity. Bleeping blun emits cheerful burbling tones and effervescent clickiness.

Beaming with unknown energies, “L2” simply radiates within a force field of its own making. During parts of 9, a vaguely harmonica-like glare and remotely guitar-esque strums appear, making this closing number seem like a sunset campfire song from some android homeworld, sorta.

I’m not sure how Sogar manages to stir relatively obscure soundforms into such curiously ear-catching transmissions… but he certainly does. Like an alien robot telling not-quite-decipherable tales which are nonetheless captivating to hear, Basal’s subtle eccentricities are worth a 9.0 of appreciation.

Of course you know by now that 12k is the premiere source of microsonic wonders.