Makesnd Cassette

by John BushMakesnd Cassette is an album of painfully minimal house music that surprisingly manages to balance its experimental slant with credible efforts at establishing a groove. With the occasional wave of atmospheric synth sounding quite lonely among these desolate productions, the 15 untitled tracks here comprise just a few pointed beats, rhythmic effects, and static or noise -- each of which is pruned down to mere split-seconds of sound. The jarring effect of computer-enhanced experimentation occasionally recalls the pioneering work of Oval and Pan sonic, though the SND duo's style sounds quite original.