Micronaut - Europa (2005)

Micronaut - Europa
Genre: Electronic, Instrumental Rock
Year: 2005






Europa is not like most electronic music. Most electronic music is extremely synthetic, created in a small room on a computer. If something from the electronic genre sounds organic, it's usually sampled. There is nothing wrong with this approach to music at all, and indeed, many of my favourite records are created this way.

But not Europa.

Europa is the electronic sideproject of one Chris Randall, the creator of the seminal industrial rock band Sister Machine Gun. Chris Randall is a programmer first and a rock musician second, but that rock sensibility never goes away. There's loads of guitars and basslines and all that good old natural shit going on here. Sometimes I classify this album as instrumental rock over electronic just because it feels like something you could actually see a band playing instead of a guy letting the computer do all the work.

My favourite thing about Europa is its progression. The first four tracks plod along in a restrained, quiet way - you don't really notice that they're there, but you appreciate them nonetheless. They're pleasant. Then the album flows seamlessly into some glitchy IDM, then a brooding piece with a cello, then some loud guitar riffs, and then back to brooding again. All the while, Europa maintains its restraint, sounding like something that approaches the boiling point but never quite goes over. The second half of the album is just gorgeous songwriting. I have a hard time putting it into words, but it just feels like you're listening to something great.

And you are.

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