Londoner Van Hoen has been releasing electronica albums for a number of years, both under his own
name and as Locust. The Warmth Inside You is the
latest chapter in his evolution as an auteur and finds
him in strong form throughout. Here his experimental
impulses are streamlined into a very direct, linear
collection of tracks. On first listen it all sounds
very simple, with vague dub inflections subservient to
warm, pulsating synth melodies, but Van Hoen's skill
is investing a very palpable sense of emotion into
this music. It's a tricky proposition, especially with
some of the sounds here evoking a kind of vintage,
futurist sci-fi soundtrack. But in fact Van Hoen's
music neither flirts overtly with camp pathos nor
becomes mired in cosmic kitsch; rather, it retains its
integrity and an evocative potency.
Beneath the surface, Van Hoen's impressionistic
fluidity sounds painstakingly crafted, with an eye to
detail revealed in the small, subtle textural shifts
that occur beneath and around the music's dominant
themes. For example, on the title track, rough
glitch-edits add a subcutaneous layer of sonic grit to
the ebb and flow of the central rhythmic pulse; and on
"Since Tomorrow Will Come," harder metallic percussion
serves to punctuate the synthesized hi-hat pulse and
loping, dubby momentum. Where the rhythms are really
pared back, Van Hoen offsets their stark minimalism
with various layers of activity, from subtle
electronic embellishments to mini depth-charges.
Crucially, the experimentation doesn't detract from the
music's accessibility, but nor does accessibility
equate with a dumbed-down agenda. Van Hoen keeps it
simple but retains an edge, mixing melodic playfulness
with a hint of stentorian rigidity, further softened
by the suppleness and dexterity of his arrangements.
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