First impression of Hrvatski's Ocieaux 1996-1998
I'll start off with a subtle announcement. A successor to king Squarepusher's throne has been found, if not a rival deity smugly plotting for it. But let's face it, his rule is wavering maybe it's time for him to settle down on a remote island & pass on the sceptre of original jazzy electronica. There is a picture of hrvatski on his label (Planet μ's) homepage, it shows him bowing deeply & respectfully to a cat in a kitchen. Back to the record, it smartly enough contains the oh-so fitting track length of eleven. I have indulged myself in title speculation, shortly I'll be stating the assumptions I have made. I assume it's his kitchen, his cat & that he's mocking his cat using body language.
The most straight forward and semi-rational track title is "You Didn't Look High Enough" or maybe "Routine Exercise" they both imply sophistication at some insert pronoun here level of intelligence. "Apostle", "Madrid" & "Ghatham" do also but they probably have a deeper namesake than I'm prepared to wonder at presently. The other six track names are somewhere in between. These eleven tracks were selected out of roughly thirty that hrvatski composed between 1996 and 1998.
It's usually a good idea to mention influences, that's why I'll say that he has invented a new genre. I appriciate the feriosity of talented jazz musicians but also it can be tedious to listen to Miles Davis's Bitches Brew, I readily play Erik Satie's Gnossiennes when life is kinda bleak but it lacks something & I end up feeling both hungry and bleak. This music makes me enjoy myself, I listen carefully to it and note the complexity of panning, fading and other sample techniques that he has aptly mastered. In any case I try to be picky when I decide if what's being played is good music. Hrvatski's Oiseaux 96-98 is the best album I haven't yet bought and will be my favorite vinyl for a very long time when I get it.
I won't shut up about it, I'll be screaming like a little girl or maybe Chris Tucker and my freinds will be very annoyed at me. Which is not really a problem, it'll be something I argue about childishly when intoxicated. It's multipurpose. I dare you to buy it, you won't feel guilty about not investing in a lifetime supply of water for a third world family of five instead. Which might just as well be that cheap. Simply put, it's amazing and naturally out of print (a 2cd reissue is in the works).