CD, This.Co, 2004
www.thisco.net
“Thiscology” is the third in a series of compilations by the Portuguese electronic music label This.Co, exclusively showcasing talent from the Portuguese electronic underground. Oddly enough, this label and some of the bands associated with it are better known outside their home-country.
The music is, as would be expected, electronic-based and consists of a diverse mix of tracks ranging in style from rhythmic compositions to ambient soundscapes, at times venturing into the realm of (for lack of better term) ritual music with some tribal undertones and even a couple of tracks having some dance-floor possibilities.
Interestingly, one gets a feeling that there is a distinct division of “Thiscology” in two parts, the first part being somewhat laidback and uplifting and the second being much more tense, oppressive and ritual in nature. The overall feeling, common to most of the songs, is one of brooding and reflection, this being what gives the compilation a definite sense of coherence. “Thiscology” is an album that flows quite well, even when listening to it casually, but there are interesting intricacies in several tracks that can only be fully grasped after attentive listening.
One might say that some tracks stand out from the rest but that is subject to personal tastes in music styles and, in a compilation such as this, it is rather difficult to try comparing individual tracks, especially when one has a diverse array of styles and visions. Nevertheless, I feel that there are a couple of tracks that may be out of place in their position in the track-listing, thus somewhat disrupting the listening of the album (“Asfixia” being the prime example).
[7/10]
— Miguel de Sousa