Chewing Pine

Odd Nosdam – Level Live Wires (Anticon, 2007)

(This originally appeared in Rock-a-Rolla)

The scattered aural aesthetic of Anticon is forever weaving in and out of its past. Level Live Wires works hard to sit itself firmly in early Anticon styles while still trying to accommodate newer listeners who are familiar with some of the more rock flavored releases of the collective. The more droney aspects of this slab are in relation to the latter day releases and include a consistent vocal throughout “Fat Hooks” that somehow, tangentially, refers to Rhys Chatham or Lou Reed. In all fairness though, the beats presented by Nosdam include dirty, earthy samples that can shoot images of old vinyl into listeners’ heads as on “Kill Tone” and its sequel “The Kill Tone Two”. In the same manner that the producer uses simplistic hip-hop and assimilates it into an even more minimalist structure, he has created a vast array of track titles that are obviously interrelated. “Burner” and “Up in Flames” are a prime example of this work with the two following each other closely and sharing a very similar tempo. Criticism aside, this disc can work as something to drive your car, read a book, take a nap or just jam out to; all the while, Odd Nosdam pushes his label towards a return to form.

Tracklisting:
01 – On
02 – Kill Tone
03 – We Dead
04 – Freakout 3
05 – Fat Hooks
06 – Blast
07 – The Kill Tone Two
08 – Burner
09 – Up In Flames
10 – Slight Return
11 – Off