bitcrush

Arguably the most anticipated release in n5MD’s history, “Epilogue in Waves”, the third album from owner Mike Cadoo’s Bitcrush project, continues the fine traditions of his imprint, melding an emotional aesthetic to much of his music. Two years in the making, this is his most cohesive and fully-realised record yet, as the Californian-based musician advances the evolutionary nature of the Bitcrush sound.

‘The Bitcrush sound’ is a key component in this album’s appeal. This is clearly the work of Cadoo, no other band or artist can sound like this. Throughout “Epilogue...” Bitcrush switches between warm ambient synthscapes or rich, electronic-laced shoegaze, often presenting tracks that effortlessly braid both styles together. He deftly navigates between both, while structuring them into his trademarked, epic compositions.

Cadoo, in fact, does epic by the bucketload, but it is the seamless mix of organic and electronic instrumentation that is the most striking aspect of Bitcrush on this form. Resonating guitar textures float freely with dreamy synths, as echoic vocals dissolve amidst the electronically-charged live drum sound. In short, those with no prior knowledge of Bitcrush could be forgiven for thinking that this was the work of a fully-fledged band rather than just one man. “Of Days”, for example, unusually follows a verse-chorus-verse like structure rising from a tranquil passage of slo-mo beats and clouded melodies into a full-blown ‘stadium-rock’ chorus.

While many artists simply over-load their music with a succession of effects, Bitcrush is different. His music is measured with every tone, note, melody and electronic pulse strategically placed. The electronics in particular, much like the vocals, do not insist upon the listener, instead they augment the overall feel of each track. There is a certain comfortable solace to a piece like “Pearl”, for example, that one would associate with a late-night drive through deserted, rain-swept roads. Cadoo spends several minutes developing such a nocturnal atmosphere, the cavernous synth waves emanating with a degree of warmth. Only the forceful volley of percussion halfway through will wake you from such a glorious cocoon of sound.

“An Island, A Peninsula”, meanwhile, nods to those early Sigur Ros comparisons with its torrents of arcing guitar and revolving, crashing percussion, while the taut Joy Division-esque bassline of “Epilogue in Tides” shifts the melodic focus from the layers of heavenly synthesizer and guitar. Cadoo, it should be noted, is also adept when it comes to changing the pace of his records, many albums often suffer from lack of variety where bands take a good idea and run it into the ground. Not on “Epilogue in Waves” though; whether it is the euphoric William Orbit-like ambience of “Prologue” or the pulsating end of “Pearl”, the Bitcrush experience remains riveting due to Cadoo’s guidance.

Of course, all of this is underpinned by the level of emotion we’ve come to expect of n5MD. But then Cadoo has been leaving clues all along, even the ‘Bitcrush’ moniker hints at a man/machine existence, an existence where man controls such devices to his advantage -- and this is where Cadoo’s Bitcrush project excels. Whatever your take is, “Epilogue in Waves” is clearly the soul of the Bitcrush machine. - angryape

If post-rock today offers only the briefest of death spasms, parts of the electronica world are certainly alive and kicking. Here at EvilSponge we have been behind the vision of labels such as n5MD, Resonant, and Darla for some while now. There are truly lovely things happening in the genre of emotive electronica. Acts such as Port-Royal, Hammock, and now Bitcrush are earning the right to be discussed alongside not solely peers (e.g., Ulrich Schnauss), but also luminaries such as Mogwai and beyond. Pushing against genre restraints, confounding expectation and breaking through to fresh territory are gifts denied to all but a few seminal artists, yet for my money Bitcrush always had less to do with the "beat and grind" of IDM (where Mike Cadoo started) and much more to do with pioneering indie. Shoegaze certainly, but we can no longer stick there. I could confidently trace the Bitcrush family history back through Mogwai, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, New Order, and back to (Third) Uncle Eno himself. Just listen to the submarine descent that is A False Movement, True. Part Treasure and part Power Corruption and Lies, the effect is truly beautiful. Yet, arguably only Bitcrush could sound like this. He has made this style his own. Found his own voice and his own place alongside those great names of the past.

Pearl is an absolute gem. (Excuse the terrible pun.) Thank heavens for the post-rock/ambient/electronic artist who grasps the power of restraint. No stale, formulaic, quietLOUD pieces here. Epilogue In Waves is a fully rounded, complete album. We cannot therefore frame our discussion in terms of standout tracks. Like Bark Psychosis' Hex or Port-Royals Flares, you play this album in full. Every time. Where there HAS been plenty of discussion, it seems, is the subject of the album's meaning. Just what closure is Epilogue hinting at? Let's consider the sleeve art (as I'm prone to doing). After all, the artwork was every bit as chosen as the music which made the final cut. I see a grey-blurred ocean vista with the artist name and album title positioned below the horizon. Conclusion? Where once, Bitcrush might have played on the surface of something, this time he's going for full immersion.

He's going under.

If there is a sea change to be detected on Epilogue, could it be a move toward the feel and style of a live band? Certainly this time around there is far less emphasis on processed sound. Tides reminds me of Mew's Am I Wry? No, albeit in stately, symphonic guise. Other tracks defy the descriptive power of the written word. That, I think, is why we love music beyond, say, poetry as an art form. And if you're like me, my God you're going to love this elegiac, electrifying record.

We will wait to see then, whether Epilogue In Waves implies a turning of the page, a new chapter or a different book altogether. Could this be the last Bitcrush record? Maybe, but if he succeeds in pulling fans of one genre across to another, whether it be rock to electronic or visa versa then the death of Bitcrush will not be in vain. And if Cadoo has a band project in mind, I'll be first in line, believe me. Critics used to talk in terms of "massive crossover potential". I think Epilogue finally bridged the waters. - evil sponge

After industrial/ambient/electronica outfit Gridlock broke up, member Mike Cadoo started his own solo project Bitcrush. This project is more about interaction between electronics and organic instruments like guitars and drums. It’s still instrumental ambient, but with a different soundscape. The songs are often epic, sweeping, string laden affairs, with washes of guitars over the beat and the occasional vocals thrown in. I once described it to a friend as a sort of mix between Gridlock and Sigur Ros, and since he is a fan of both and accepted what I said, I'm going to go with that.

I love how the long tracks evolve, often changing into another style completely after a while. Sometimes several times! “Drop Entitled” starts off with a whisper and atmospherics, and then suddenly after four and a half minutes erupts into a whirlwind of drums and crashing guitars. It then slows down again with mellow guitars and strings. Another such masterpiece is the eleven minute long “And Triage” which twists and turns like a coastal mountain road in California.

If you like your electronica a bit more adventurous, give this a try. - release magazine

Mike Cadoo has nurtured his own sound for many years, once a part of the now-defunct Gridlock duo, and expressing gritty drum'n bass under the Dryft moniker, his most personal work as Bitcrush is a defining sound that has now fully established itself on In Distance. An album that will certainly target a new group of fans to the label, In Distance's thick guitar riffs, scraping ambient infiltrations, processed lyrical whispers and live drums consistently evoke feelings of temptation, imagination and creative reflection. The electrical pulse of Enarc (Component Records) is not entirely stripped; on In Distance the melodies collide and fall against smooth compositional layering and gentle guitar moments brush against gritty beats that build and decompose often in the same track.

Shimmer & Fade, the MP3 release on en:peg, n5MD's digital division, displayed what would soon evolve into In Distance. Crashing vocals and deeply integrated emotions somehow intensify the listeners moods in any direction or path. "Post" opens up with a slow building guitar melody and a calming ambient current until the beats break out mid-way through and the lyrics "I can no longer follow, I can no longer do this anyway" casually repeat with amazing effect. "Falling Inward" comes very close to Ulrich Schnauss' uplifting mesh of percussion, ambience and continual growth within 9-minutes. It's a signature sound that elevates this album into a field that is not electronic at all but rather alive in its feeling and overall mood. The closure to "Falling Inward" is perhaps the most inspirational moment on the album --not as easy to describe with words, as it does with sound, but "Falling Inward" is an emotional journey that doesn't let go. "Colder" is yet another highlight on In Distance, the shortest track of the nine included herein --it glows like no other. The aged beat work and melodic push of this track is as captivating as gliding through a dream sequence that tugs at your heartstrings every mile of the way. The title track, "In Distance," has a more distinct pulse filled with traditional instrumentation and stretched vocals that appear ever so faintly as the chorus line unveils itself in full color. "Song for Three" has a similar feeling --slowly punctuating guitars drift amongst an all-consuming beat that holds your thoughts firmly until its release in the last few minutes. "Drop Entitled" will certainly appeal to indie fans and college radio DJ's --heavy guitars smashing against intense percussion and flowing ambient permutations; it begins to tear apart in its final moments leaving you to gently push repeat on your CD player without hesitation.

On the 11-minute "And Triage," one of the finest moments of In Distance, time means nothing at all in the big picture. Images of times gone by and memories left to grow are nurtured within this track. The first few minutes are slightly intensified --a casual beat patters against your heart until a climactic beginning opens at the center of it all. And just when you thought "And Triage" would slide away into your subconscious, it breaks down into severed elements of itself and begins to gradually take you under its wing three-quarters of the way through. And with a splash of amazing distortion, decay and utmost clarity "And Triage" lifts you into the stratosphere and simply lets go just as quickly. Not only a piece of this huge puzzle that is In Distance, "And Triage" is an entity like no other.

"Every Ghost has its Spectre" and the closing "The 2am Edit" are two gradual pieces of time that are augmented by pure ambient propulsion and sonic passages of human thought. "Every Ghost has its Spectre" speaks subliminally with its softly spoken vocals and casual stream of consciousness while "The 2am Edit" offers a 10-minute voyage of Orb styled ambiences and thought provoking movements in minimalism.

In Distance is Bitcrush's most personal piece of work. Capturing over an hours worth of gravitational elegance wrapped in shredded atmospheres and drenched guitar work, this is perhaps n5MD's most ambitious release and one that will certainly appeal to a larger crowd resting outside of the experimental electronic music sphere. The question remains, however, will this album ever be topped? It's a difficult thought to imagine, so we'll leave that with Bitcrush to decide. Prepare to go the distance and to come back again for yet another trip into an avalanche of audio beauty that is locked in distance. - Igloomag

Bitcrush, the latest solo endeavor from Mike Cadoo, takes both the melodic and gritty elements from his prior work in Gridlock and the now-defunct Dryft and splices them with an urban sensibility. More coherant and accessible than anything Cadoo has done previously, Enarc is a logical musical progression that retains a filmic nature while embracing the notion of traditional song structure. Fans of his work might find themselves caught off guard by this at first, but the results are, to quote the soon-to-be-ousted President Bush, superb. The opening cut "Engale" starts off as expected, with a growing hyponotic drone peppered with punchy, crunchy percussion. Yet despite the present familiarity, it quickly becomes clear that Bitcrush is not just another abstract experimental soundscape act, as the pleasant introduction of traditional instrumentation on "Untilted" reveals. Moaning with digital noise, "Arjon Tenpher" dazzles with dubbed out drum loops and creeping synthesized melodies. "Habitual" shifts gears from its relatively straightforward hip hop groove by climaxing with disjointed junglism and an acid teaser lead line. The stunning and irrepressibly head-nodding "Eye Koto" blows the roof off the motherfucker with a Bristol inspired jam of plucked twangy guitar, huge beats, and DSP manipulation. "Frebasyc" rocks a Peter Hook-style riff over sharp stuttering drums, with the only missing desired addition being vocals, which apparently will be incorporated into future Bitcrush tracks. "Carbon" locks itself in the echo chamber for something somewhat resembling the recent 303-obsessed Wagon Christ album without the kitsch. Conversely, the untitled hidden bonus track does a 180 degree turn as a straight-up shoegazing indie rock song that could easily wind up on college radio station playlists. Standing defiant before the blown out hull of IDM, Enarc is an aurally arresting affair that stays captivating throughout and raises the bar for Warp noodlers, Ninja Tune wannabes, Planet µ wankers, and the rest of their ilk. - brainwashed

Mike Cadoo continues his exploration of the shoegazer aesthetic that he hinted at with Enarc (Component, 2004), his last full length CD release. Shimmer and Fade is a collection of experiments with real instrumentation: guitar and drums with the gentlest of processing and synthesizer work to add texture to these tracks. That's what he's all about here: texture ala My Bloody Valentine and the lamentations of lost souls that pervaded Joy Division. After "Shimmer," the two minute opener that draws us in on a wave of noise, "Aventious" carefully unfolds with a sound mirage of processed guitar -- full arcs of elongated notes that fill the air with glowing contrails of sound. With "No Bridge No Water," Cadoo fully engages the Wayback Machine, reaching through its slot to that early period of British Alternative (before "alternative" was a bad word) and bringing through echoes of The Cure, My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain. "The Missing" and "Waiting For Something" are filled with ghosts of guitar textures and spectral voices, fading walls of sound that are the foundations of digitized constructs -- delicate edifices built of crystallized electronics.

If en:peg is all about experimentation at inexpensive prices for everyone, then Cadoo's efforts with Shimmer and Fade are an interesting window into the creative process. He's asks us to indulge him for a few dollars as if he were down in the subway at one of the major intersections with a guitar, beatbox, and portable speaker. There are two signs on the wall behind him, pointing in opposite directions. "This way to modern electronica and DSP love," says one. "This way to the history of guitar textures and massive walls of overdubs," says the other. Cadoo is at the crossroad, mixing the sounds that come from either passage. (5/5) - igloomag