NPC - One More Thing to Conceal

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NPC are a complete unknown to me, and there isn't much to gain by looking around his/hers/theirs/severalsomeones MP3 Unsigned page. Essentially experimental electronica is the overriding impression, not always my favourite genre but I have been surprised by it before. NPC? Now where have I heard that term before....erm.... Would that be non-playing character? In which case I can perfectly understand the need for anonymity. Obviously the absolute first thing I, and others, want from the hundreds (nay fekkin millions) of electronica artists of any stripe is an involving experience, something that gets through the usual woompah woompah that so characterises the genre. My first impression of One More Thing To Conceal was very favourable, being the right blend of production nous and arranging talent. My second impression was that it was too damn short, because I could have gone on listening to it long after it's three and a bit minutes of playing time.

And that was just the first play...

Subsequent listens unveiled the true substance of this track; some remarkable sub-basses I hadn't noticed the first time round; and the depth and integrity of the arrangement and some v-e-r-y long sweeps that are essentially at the root of everything you hear. This is one of those tracks you just allow to roll into your earholes a note at a time (and sometimes it feels like that too), but underpinning it is an extremely well put together electronic soundscape that has plenty of musical nooks and crannies to explore. Most definitely a rare thing in this genre, and it makes me want to hear something else from this artist and that always bodes well.

For my money, this seemed - after some time - as an instrumental of little sections, but with infinite care paid to fitting those sections together and it's that care and attention to detail that make this track infinitely approachable - whether you like the genre or not. Most people that I know usually turn their eyes to heaven at the very mention of the word electronica - the acid test is whether THEY recognise it as electronica so I ran this track by a couple of people who I know don't like electronica (or at least say they don't) and both of them commented on the instant connection to the track they got and that says a lot. Should have got to the bit with the lock sound a bit quicker, one of them said because that was the bit he got really interested. My overall point here is that a track has to work within itself before it can be polished the way I have described and One More Thing definitely works. A totally engrossing electronic peice and not - IMHO - experimental at all. In fact it kinda reminds me of something Pink Floyd may have done in the early days.

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