Atmogat - "Trigger Event"

Artist: Atmogat
Album: Trigger Event
Year: 2010
Label: Impulsive Art
Genre: IDM / Downtempo
Website: www.myspace.com/atmogat










Composition: 8.5/10
After several free digital EPs, Atmogat returns with their full-length "Trigger Event". The music on Trigger Event sounds like a natural progression from their last EP "Neutro Bionic", as the listener is again presented with downtempo-yet-complex ambient idm with big atmospheres and hints of melody. Compositionally, this isn't too different from previous Atmogat releases; it's more clicks, buzzes, blips and beeps, but that's all par for the course. It's got all the right ingredients for what I want to hear when I say "I want to hear some idm". Now, "Trigger Event" isn't really Warp records type stuff, it's more of the "new school" of IDM (I guess you could call it that; I call it that). Baically, it is stuff that is more digital sounding and more cohesive; stuff with groove and not so much technical wankery. I like "Trigger Event" because you can groove along with it and follow it, but at the same time it's complex enough to satisfy your brain. Honestly, this album is a really good depiction of IDM. It's easy to get into, yet complex enough for the veteran. The sounds are able to be described by positive adjectives like: interesting, unique, visionary, calming, stimulating, mechanical. Soundwise, the songs are very cohesive; like actual pieces of music rather than random noises and glitches. It's really difficult to acurately describe the songs in words because they are so full of things, and these things constantly change and evolve... Bottom line is that this is a fucking cool album if you like IDM, and it's the kind of thing you'd expect and be happy to hear when you're looking for someting described as "ambient idm". There are two remixes at the end of this; the Access to Arasaka one sounds exactly like his own work, which you should know and like, and the Nikka one is pretty mediocre. Maybe on it's own it would be good, but it sounds a little weak compared to the rest of the album.

Production: 9/10
This is what really sets Atmogat apart from other ambient idm acts. While the sounds used may not be worlds different, they have an extremely mature sound with very tight and massive sounding production. They seem very well versed in composition and mixing which sets them a tier above many similar sounding acts. One thing I really noticed about the DNN album "Try To Feel" (this is the side project of one of the members that I meant to introduce earlier but didn't) was just how spacious it sounded, and "Trigger Event" is the same way, sounding absolutely colossal. Excellent.

Artistic Merit: 5/10
The only real downfall of this album is that it's not particularly different from other ambient idm acts. It sounds pretty similar to stuff you would hear on Crazy Language or Halbsicht or U-cover, although this is definitely not a terrible thing.

Flow: 9/10
Flows as well as IDM can. The songs aren't 'structured' in a traditional way, but they move and progress nicely and do not get boring or wank-festy. The synths compliment the beatwork quite well, and as a result these pieces tend to suck you in and keep you fascinated.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10
A great buy for anyone who enjoys ambient IDM in the vein of pleq, huron, dnn, sincere trade, the last gambit, adamned.age etc.