Artist(s) of the Day: Secede & Kettel

Despite tormenting me with his brief absence from the wide and wonderful musical world, Secede must know that I will always forgive him, if not just for the fact that he created Bye Bye Gridlock Traffic back in 2003: an album continuously stuck in place as one of my favourite records of all time. Somewhere amidst the charming subtlety, child-like mysticism, and astounding imagination I fell in love; and although later musical outings would see Secede travelling more standard paths I never gave up.

But he's come back, and I don't know how I feel about that. Weird, perhaps... I'd started to move on and he's caught me in a transition. What he produces is certainly interesting: a collaborative LP with label friend and equally as amazing electronic producer Kettel (who remains somewhat of an undiscovered gem). The release sets sail with a lot of quirky, unusual motifs like traditional Asian instruments and musical interpretations of rain forests all tied up with a very slight cloth of ambiance. It's captivating in whatever way you look at it, though initially the surprising ideas can seem a tad intimidating. Influences from the tail-end of IDM culture are evident, as our comparisons to the best of both artists' discographies, so it's safe to stick with words such as "varied" and "eclectic" when describing the album.

It's weird sure, but I can already say that during the time I've spent writing this article I'm starting to fall in love all over again...

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