Assess Salvation—the debut long-player from Pie Eye Collective—at a glance and you'd be forgiven for taking it to be the work of some anonymous vaporwave ensemble; a collection of wilfully obtuse artists who, if their gleefully off-beat choice of artwork were any indication, might well be taken to represent a sample-heavy vision of experimental electronica.
In fairness, spinning this idiosyncratic collection does indeed reveal something of that particular genre's hazy mystery; if nothing else, Pie Eye Collective's preferred form of electronica is absolutely one which epitomises the fragmented confusions of the internet age. But, despite their name, Pie Eye Collective are not a group at all; the moniker represents, instead, the work of Matthew Gordon—a Bristol-by-way-of-London artist who, having previously collaborated with Emma Jean Thackray and remixed a number of other acts, now establishes himself as a solo artist with this distinctive set. Rich in stuttering, glitchy rhythms and Technicolor washes of sound, Salvation is a record content to proceed at its own curious pace. It isn't designed to wow the prospective listener with flashy auditory declarations, instead contenting itself with a woozy ambience all its own.
Released through UK indie outfit Albert's Favourites, Salvation appears on shelves as a roughly mid-weight slab of black vinyl manufactured by the Czech Republic's GZ Media; a pressing plant who, though one of the most in-demand in the world, do tend to maintain a solid level of quality control. Reflective of that, this is a great-sounding record; there were no notable flaws in the case of our copy—and, besides, the music itself is mastered with sufficient oomph that any slight defects in the vinyl itself would likely be masked anyway. As it is, however, there were none to speak of with our example and, though we did find that some debris from the printed inner sleeve clung to the LP's surfaces, these were easily removed with a carbon fibre brush.
Packaged in a standard-width, non-gatefold sleeve, Salvation's quirky art direction represents the most striking element of its presentation; the sleeve itself—though not unusual in terms of construction—has been manufactured from sufficient cardstock to feel reasonably sturdy in-hand. Likewise, the printed card inner sleeve—though wrought from slight cardstock—marks a welcome inclusion and the absence of a barcode is also a welcome boon for the visual aesthetic.
Those with a stout appreciation of spacey electronica rich in reverberant atmospherics are likely to find much of worth in Salvation and, in its physical edition, a great sounding LP can be found to complement the music contained therein.
