King Of The Mountains

Zoetrope (Melodic)
15/20

From the first shuffling beats and interweaving synths it’s obvious that Zoetrope – the debut album by Working for A Nuclear Free City songwriter Phil Kay – is going to be more than a simple saunter through well tread electronica territory.

Sounding something like a less hyperactive Dan Deacon, or Caribou with the playfulness lever fully deployed, King of the Mountains squashes 10 effervescent and luxurious tracks into less than 35 minutes. The sloping Animal Attractions is pure Slugabed territory, lolloping along like a sedated beast prowling the urban jungle, while title track is a Gold Panda-esque shimmy through pensive, melodic house. ELA has a more reflective, subtler feel – something like Dam Mantle’s gentle undulating rhythms. If there’s a criticism of Kay’s debut solo effort at all, it’s simply that it could have pushed a bit further, at times feeling more like a collection of almost finished ideas than a coherent album. Still, precious few artists have the ability to distill something so organic sounding from their gadgets and machines. And despite the fleeting quality of some of the material, this is a beautifully crafted electronic ephemera.

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Words: Adam Corner