title:

partition

label:

october man recordings

format:

orange cdr

release date:

17.05.06

cat. no.:

october man recordings {11}

tracks:

data packet

sundial

outdubstarn

casiotonic

outdubstarn (mint's octane remix)

reviews:

"we have this sexy cheju cd on octoberman recordings. they only made 50 and we got half of 'em and they're almost all sold out. it's in gorgeous packaging (like a digitalis cd or something...) and it's 5 tracks of beautiful melodic electronica. they had a cd out on static caravan a while back so most of you will be aware of 'em by now. one per person job and they're a death defying cheap 95p each. miss it at your peril!" - norman records, 05.06

"cheju 'partition' (october man recordings). frankly you could have beaten me senseless and the smile brought about by this release would still have remained fixed and beaming brightly. those with memories stretching back - ooh - a month or two ago may well remember us fondly waxing lyrical about cheju's 'a rainy mile' ep for static caravan. since then there’s been an explosion of activity at chez cheju (wil bolton) what with the 'despite all resolutions' ep available from camomille (http://camomille.genshimedia.com/091.htm); a live split with mint available via kahvi at www.kahvi.org/110.php and his debut full length 'pica' for unlabel as part of their ongoing series 52 catalogue (which is basically the issue of a weekly release by an artist not normally associated with unlabel - each edition limited to just 100 cd-r pressings - subscriptions are still up for grabs - check www.unlabel.net for more information). okay that’s the recent history out of the way. cheju as said previously is none other than wil bolton a london based producer / musician and label owner (boltfish records - home of statskcartsa, mint, infinite scale, lum, october man etc….) who seems to delight in wiling away his days constructing and despatching his delicately absorbing electronic hatchlings to all fortunate enough to hear them. pressed on an orange cd and housed in a homemade cream and gold sleeve designed by the man himself, this tasty 5 track outing is ridiculously limited to just 50 copies and only available via norman records (www.normanrecords.com) for a measly 95p plus postage (surely some mistake there?) and sure to have sold out faster than the time it takes you to say where my feckin credit card given that the labels previous 10 releases have a flown the coup in record time (well one of them was limited to just 7 copies). as said - five sublime slices of electronics and treated guitar ear wear lovingly inhabit this set that by our reckoning are of a better and more honed standing than those found orbiting that tremendous static release (see above). the set opens with the grand sounding 'data packet' a stately slice of something else pop, all at once contemplative, drifting, lulling and creative wise expansive to the point it as though you are being lovingly smothered by an ever consuming and ever evolving (texture wise) hermetically sealed lunar-esque bubble of delights. chamber like initially it soon begins to unfurl into a deliciously affectionate cocktail of glacial pirouettes and oriental regalness with temptingly treading squelching beats that converge to gently tweak the mid 80’s standard bearing harold faltermayer euro electro pop axis while at varying points sublimely cross referencing elements of japan ('tin drum'), manual, portal and the lushly vibrant ambient folds more common of yellow 6. the aching 'sundial' is more skeletally honed in terms of texture, execution and delivery, bobbling around in its own lonesome orbit it could be a tearfully mournful post scripting overture for a long forgotten celestial beach front contrast those moods with the classic metronomic chassis of 'outdubstarn' with its 'autobahn' era kraftwerk meets early career jean michel jarre mindset as though paired down into a cerebra dissolving kaleidoscopic sonic experiment blurred with the suggestion of vague acid / house crossovers with fly's 70's retro induced motorik 'put the needle down and fly' used as a key overriding template onto which sonic boom crafts his hypnotic states of tranquillity. the atmospheric soundscapes and subtle house / club overlays hinted within are coaxed seductively to the fore by a superbly scored remix of the same track by mint. elsewhere not forgetting the wonderfully lilting 'casiotonic' which like 'sundial' previously courts an element of sad eyed seaside ballrooms, think tv test card signatures given a lullaby-esque polish by raymond scott with isan on hand to twiddle with the analogue controls - one suspects that toasters and other electrical instruments may well see this as 'lurve' music - you have been warned. absolutely recommended.." - losing today, 05.06

"'partition' shows cheju in form on october man recordings. it is a five track ep filled with strong melodies and the hinted melancholy that one is used to hear from cheju. the 'partition' ep has some similarities to his recent static caravan release 'a rainy mile' with guitars embedded in the production. the quality is as high as ever, for example the crispness, static and excellent beats of 'sundial', the wall of sound in 'outdubstarn' or the hard to resist melody of 'casiotonic'. cheju continues developing his take on electronic music and successfully incorporates new elements, while remaining true to his own unique sound, lovely stuff. the fifth and last track is 'outdubstarn (mint’s octane remix)' as the title suggests a remix by boltfish’s very own mint. his remix sets a different mood and could very well have been included on the soundtrack of carpenter's escape from new york if it had been around at the time. and finally my compliments to omr for the highly enjoyable artwork and bright orange disc!" - electronic desert, 05.06

"wil bolton's resume is something his peers should aspire to. past releases have seen him involved with static caravan, acrylik, lacedmilk, unlabel and of course boltfish, the label he co-runs with friend and fellow electronic musician mint (who incidentally offers a remix of outdubstarn here). cheju's latest offering can see the talented london based artist adding october man records to his cv, with this blistering 5 track collection that manages to challenge borders of electronic music by flirting with contrasting styles. firstly, data packet is a beautiful melange of sounds; with bolton merging downbeat electronica, trip hop drums, juddering spasms and corrupted glitches. on sundial, the crackles of opiate fizz over vintage piano notes, yet from here, fennesz style processed textures are overlaid with beeps and alien radio signals on outdubstarn. casiotonic is incredibly pretty and the most lovely thing i've heard from cheju, with its cute keyboards, angelic melodies and the gentle patter of drums. partition skips gracefully through the history of music, soaking up vast influences of both nostalgia and contemporary styles. but one thing has to be questioned - just why isn't an artist as talented as cheju more well known?" - angry ape, 05.06

"wil Bolton's cheju ep partition arrives distinctively, encased within a gold-patterned cream-coloured sleeve and its tracks pressed onto a gleaming orange disk. the music itself? the london-based composer and boltfish co-owner acquits himself well in that regard, with the 24-minute disc housing five elegantly-crafted exercises in deep, reverberant electronica. its moods range from the wiry drone 'outdubstarn' (fellow boltfish compadre mint concludes the disc with an equally pulsating, acidy, and jittery 'octane' remix of same) to the more reflective 'sundial' where bolton energizes stuttering shimmer with clicking beats and flickering melodies. similarly contrasting, the ep opens with the elegant drama of 'data packet' and a mix of heaving guitar masses and crunchy down-tempo rhythms but also veers into sunkissed isan territory with the quietly jubilant 'casiotonic', where glistening melodies billow over a faded base of squelchy funk." - textura, 06.06