Last Updated on December 16, 2023
When this album starts I was sure I knew what I’d be getting. The gentle meandering synths chords convinced me that I’d spend the next 39 minutes listening to meandering synth chords and not much else. A concept I’m often on board with.
But then a bass the depth of the Mariana Trench almost shook my speakers off the shelf. It sounds warm, punchy and clean. I find the sound incredibly comforting and reassuring. The melodies are slightly off-beat in a way that keeps them interesting. I’m only one track into this album, and unless they stuff it up by adding something ‘whacky’ I think I’m going to really enjoy it.
I love this type of IDM (intelligent dance music) but often feel that the music is far smarter than I am. Don’t get me wrong, it probably is, but there’s difference between knowing something is cleverer than I am, and having it rubbed in my face. With Purelink the feeling I get is that they are intelligent, but they’re going to use that intelligence to delight and protect the listener in equal measures.
While ‘signs’ falls into the IDM category, I wouldn’t bother putting on your dancing shoes before pressing the ‘play’ button. There are beats, but they’re more for subdued shuffling than foot stomping.
This type of electronic music is at it’s most wonderful when it’s more than background music. There’s enough of a journey through this album that it never quite fades into the background, but it’s a narrative thread that never intrudes. This is the type of music that I don’t have to pause if the phone rings, or if someone I need to talk to walks into the room.
Best listened to on huge speakers, by yourself, as a tonic and mood improver. It’s all going to be okay, Purelink will look after you. But only for 39 minutes and 26 seconds.
