Another newcomer on Thinner is Unit 21 from Russia. Stanislav Vdovin was born and grew up in Nizhny Novgorod where he studied piano at music school for 8 years. At the age of 13 he tried himself in composition, using a standalone digital synthesizer Ensoniq TS-10. Three years later, in 2001, he went into experiments with music software, and finally founded Unit 21 in 2003. The main creative object for Unit 21 is to find a balance between unexpressed-by-words emotionality, delicate sound design and traditional structures of electronic music.
The idea behind the September-October EP is in sampling old (primarily early 80s) Soviet manufactured vinyl records (pop and jazz), then combining processed samples with 4/4 static techno. The song titles directly refer to the production dates as the tracks were composed in a period of joint performances with Sleepy Town Manufacture in Moscow (Peace Technologies event: Plastilin club), Izhevsk and Nizhny Novgorod. The result is a half-live, half-studio LP ‘No Traces’, promising to be released in a near future. It opens with an ambient edition of the ‘September, 26th’ track.
Distinctive crackling vinyl sounds and lots of hisses and pops swirl around the wide pianos of citated 'September, 26th'. Although the song feels light in it's architecture the piano gives it a melancholic touch. Incorporated is a piano part, performed by Stanislav himself in 2004.
A very nice opposite to the first track is 'September 10th', which turns out much more static and earthy with the marching bassdrum in the lo-frequencey area, giving it an industrial touch. The flute samples add a lot of unusual atmosphere and the clock-like noises at the end is a self-recorded (pitched down) piano pedal sound.
On the virtual flip Unit 21 continues the sonorous atmospheres with 'October 16th', which is built on monotonous beats and slowly evolving pads and rest sounds of the piano. As the song progresses with the hats fading in and the enlightment of the pads you can almost spot some ethereal sunlight.
The last song 'October 18th' is the most blurry of the four songs with it's cathedral-filling pads and dusty particles that become visible in the sunlight. We hope you enjoy this grey aural cinemascope coming out of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
