In the Flesh Vol. III: Kurt James Werner

Kurt Werner and I share a special bond. A former bandmate/roommate/confidante and fellow engineer, he's one of the few people I can count on to both greet me as "slut" and enthusiastically nerd out with me about psychoacoustics. I mean, who can you text about audio masking at 10:30 on a Friday? Kurt. So when he finally finished this gem, I was excited. I've always known Kurt as a capable musician, so I'm not surprised at what a solid effort this album is, but "impressed" might be the right word.

Schism Method is a confluence of Kurt's various audio projects: a blend of ambient/concréte, circuit-bent glitches, algorithmic breakbeats and poppy NES synths. It meanders between spacious soundscapes and twee chiptunes, like an Atari occasionally dissolving into the sky, with the rhythmic and ambient moments carefully arranged to blend together seamlessly. It covers an impressive range of moods, from warm and wistful to cold and tense, all while maintaining a cohesive sound. I was especially happy to hear "Into the Ocean" and "& Fingertips", chiptune reworkings of World's First Flying Machine songs (our old band; RIP), albeit with some embellishments in Kurt's straight-ahead, energetic pop style. And he's working on his PhD at the same time? This guy's too good.