The Invisible Conquest

by Rick AndersonUnlike those of many record labels that traffic in a particular sound, Interchill's releases are not only reliable but also consistently interesting. The label's signature mood is dark and dubby, with multiple layers of sonic complexity but a certain gentleness that makes everything go down easily even as it rewards repeated listening. The music of Swedish electronica artist Martin Staaf (aka Liquid Stranger) is a natural fit for this label; as someone who has previously worked in progressive rock, punk, techno, breakbeat, and IDM genres, Staaf brings a certain sophistication to his Interchill-style dubtronica, and there is lots to hear for those who take the trouble to listen closely: the brass and orchestral samples bubbling beneath the surface of the gently churning dub of "Liquid Stranger on the Run," for example, or the subtly swinging bhangra influences on "Djarum Express," or the deeply hallucinatory sonorities of "Splash Matters." On "Doncamatic," he shifts into funk-reggae mode, and "Confusion" flirts with jungle while keeping one foot firmly in Adrian Sherwood-style avant-dub. Those who can't be bothered to listen closely will still enjoy every single groove on this album, but they'll miss some of its most elegant subtleties. Very highly recommended.