Machinefabriek - Daas

Maybe I've not been paying enough attention but this is the first time I've heard Machinefabriek, the musical project of Rutger Zuyderveldt. Maybe his releases, and there's a colossal amount of them, have been hidden away in the experimental avant garde or modern classical review sections but his work flows beautifully with a microscopic attention to detail. Largely hushed and drawn-out with a depth and beauty these tracks, three of which have appeared as self-released CD-Rs and one on a split vinyl release with Matt Davies combine ambient and drone, with classical and location recordings to create some supremely crafted tracks of disintegrated, lost melodies.

'Flotter' features a quiet featherweight restrained atmospheric drone. The almost tranquil sounds are pierced by the tiniest of sounds: raindrops, metallic chiming. The looped sounds of a crackling stylus run throughout. Gentle buzzing strings gradually gain focus and clarity, and by midpoint the strings are swept up into a staggered and staggering touch of symphonics before it all peels away and leads into an unexpected noisier endpiece. The following track, 'Onkruid', is even more impressive. With its slightly blurred graceful classical music, once again, set against a backdrop of distant crackling. The drifting layers are evocative and quietly stimulating. I can't decide whether it is dreamily haunting or hauntingly dreamy.

'Koploop' takes several minutes to gel before the muted strains of violin and cello form into a shimmering drone. Little sound snippets pierce through as the sound gives way to a reverberating hum. As it progresses the violin and cello, performed by Greg Haines and Anne Bakker, become more discernible to the point it almost becomes a small ensemble of classical players. And just when you've think that's it, the final minutes comprise plaintive guitar strum and some banjo playing.

Where 'Daas' the opening track, a collaboration with Richard Skelton, offers atmospheric location recordings from which arises dusty drawn out cello sounds, coalescing into a scraping drone while simple plucked strings offer a melodic counterpoint the final track 'Grom' offers the closest to a Cold Spring release. That's perhaps because it's the bleakest track here with a drifting drone punctuated with desolate pedal steel guitar playing. It's all sucked up into a blackened hum proving that Machinefabriek are just as adept using shades of grey as they are as they are with autumnal hues and shadowy wintery tones. Daas is definitely a useful entry point to those new to the work of Machinefabriek. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk