With
Nanang Tatang,
Ida co-founders
Dan Littleton and
Elizabeth Mitchell have taken their signature sound -- dreamy slowcore complete with vocal harmonies and slightly dissonant structure -- and added a new level of electronic tones and ambient texture. With simple programmed beats grafted onto the spare arrangements and
Mitchell's gentle vocals, tracks like "On Me Forever" make
Muki sound remarkably similar to Iceland's electro-pop act
Múm, but with the distinct Americana elements of a band like
Low. It's hazy, peaceful, and meditative electronic folk music, from the simple "R U Ready" to the sparkling bossa nova lullaby "Wake Up Call."
Muki is an album that may never raise listeners' heartbeats to a solid rock & roll thump or get them moving on the dancefloor, but it is also a record that never overextends itself despite being musically experimental --
Nanang Tatang is happy to supply a subtle and intimate collection that tiptoes through drowsy contemplation. ~ Charles Spano