Someone Else - Pen Caps and Coloured Pencils

The debut album from Someone Else's Foundsound label is a surreal and touching experience, beginning with the sound of Someone Else (Sean O'Neal) explaining the process of "just going everywhere in the streets, in the field, in the countryside. With your mike and your recording device just to record random sounds. Just use them to create music", before kicking into a deep minimal beat. O'Neal goes on to explore a pantheon of trills and snipped notes, whilst the original vocals are regurgitated as counterpoint to a thumping bass. O'Neal expertly constructs abstract musical gems that bridge the gap between deep, minimal house and experimental electronica. Admittedly Funky Fromage falls short somewhat, coming across like rather insipid techno, and the accomplished Elevator Muzak is a technical curio with little emotional appeal. However, the breathy surrealism of Family Unties is utterly hypnotic; dreamlike in its obscurity and truly inventive. Despite the occasional slip, this is compelling listening; a bold and successful experiment in sound. Closing track Oh Sean seems to hold the key to the album; familiar noises and a clear female voice are sliced and re-jigged into barely recognisable percussive notes, creating a slow burning dancefloor hit.
Throughout Pen Caps... Someone Else demonstrates how enticing music can be when experimentation and rhythm converge. It's time to discover Foundsound. [Liam Arnold]