Layers and layers and layers, but not especially onion-like.
'Consequence Music' is the debut album release from Dextro, the electronic pseudonym of Ewan Mackenzie. Born in Falkirk and now living in Glasgow, Ewan also plays drums for experimental rock group Snowblood, who have so far released two albums. With such a keen interest in music it is hard not to expect an accomplished and self-assured debut, and 'Consequence Music' does not disappoint.
Despite its ominous-sounding title, the fundamental spirit of this album is a positive one. There are shadows of melancholy in the opening section and sampled voices of 'Atman', but these are balanced by the track's lush layering and realistically rendered string and wind instrument effects. Dark titles lurk elsewhere too (such as 'Destroy The Future Of All Mankind' and 'Rotifer'), but the album will uplift rather than depress and, if necessary, can provide a place to consider your black thoughts without indulging or nurturing them. 'Consequence Music' can provide a soundtrack to reflection, but not to wallowing.
At times Dextro's sound is stripped down slightly (witness the openings of 'Destroy The Future Of All Mankind' or 'Rotifer', for example), but although the beats and melodies may not be as obvious at these moments as they are at others they are still present, and the overall sound remains richly layered. One of Dextro's greatest strengths is his creative approach to his song titles and sampling, from the creepy voices of 'Corotenoid' and 'Rottifer' to the bird sounds in 'El Veinto'; not to mention the sound of a printer being switched on which can be heard in 'Calcutec'.
'Consequence Music' avoids the common electronica pitfall of having its tracks sound exactly the same, although it is also fair to say that there could be a greater differentiation in pace and mood and one is hard pressed to say that any tracks truly stand out from their siblings. There is nothing groundbreaking in 'Consequence Music', but neither will you feel like you've heard it all before. Fans of melodic, layered electronica will not be disappointed, and although it's probably not poppy enough to be accessible to the mainstream that is nothing to complain about.