CD/free download,self-release, 2009
www.dicepeople.org
Dicepeople, Matt Brock’s one man project, delivers a delicious mix of hard synth-driven electronica and melodic IDM. “Time to Play” delivers a 50 minute auditory delight with emphasis on song structure and production.
A precise definition of genre is difficult with influences ranging from dub to dark electronica to jazz to experimental glitch. The album is lightly seasoned with samples, rich with atmospheric tension, and bursting at the seams with talent. The best example of this talent would be on “Ghost” with its chiming keys whirling into the ether and the warm jazz influenced drums, a song which could easily be heard in a back alley jazz club under a mist of cigarette smoke and red lights. Highlights from this release include the spacial groove “Ghost”, the edgy glitch driven beats of “Wormsign” and the warm layered crescendo of “Oubliette”. There is only one song that seems out of place on this release, an 80s-reminiscent melody titled “Seek, Locate”.
The one area of fault with “Time To Play” is that it comes off shallow or two-dimensional – it lacks depth on the majority of the songs (the one exception being the above mentioned “Ghost”). That aside, “Time to Play” is a release deserving of a serious listen that will cater to fans of IDM, psytrance and techno. It is by no means emotionally deep but I look forward to future releases from this project.
[7/10]
— James church