Drifting in Silence

Fallto

[Labile; 2007]

Styles: ambient, downtempo, electronic shoegaze
Others: Kruder & Dorfmeister, Brian Eno, Talk Talk

Drifting in Silence strives to make dance music for those who’ve never quite felt comfortable making eye contact with anything other than their footwear. But Nashville’s Derrick Stembridge, who handles everything from fuzzbox to drum machine, creates a vibe more apt for late-night lounging than for dance-floor euphoria. On Fallto, moods shift from meditative to driving and rhythmic, shaping expansive soundscapes that Stembridge litters with slow-burning melodies. Stembridge is at his best when creating would-be scores for films from your favorite deconstructionist (“Meaning of Life”), but things can take a plodding turn when vocal tracks are vocodered into superfluity (“Unknowndivide”). In the end, it doesn’t matter if your eyes are closed, on the floor, or looking up to space, as long as you’re hearing the music.

1. Without Time 2. Fallto 3. Unknowndivide 4. Texture 5. Chameleon 6. Meaning of Life 7. Pretend 8. Closure 9. Chameleon (Drev Remix) 10. Chameleon (313tronic Toxic Remix)

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