Pye Corner Audio (aka
Martin Jenkins) is one of the most highly regarded artists associated with cult U.K. label Ghost Box, so it's somewhat surprising that
Stasis, his eighth or so full-length, is only his second album for the label. The release contains nearly all of the hallmarks of the
Pye Corner sound: slow disco beats, wavy analog synthesizer textures, and high levels of suspense. "Lost Ways" contains all of these, and adds a vocodered voice repeating the track's title. "Autonomization" is an industrial-leaning horror-disco track with pulsating arpeggios and slightly smudgy tones. "Ganzfeld Effect" starts out eerie, with fluttering synths approximating the sound of howling wind, but two minutes in, the track develops a nice electro beat and wistful melodies. A few ambient pieces lighten up the tension a bit, but then there are zombie stalker disco tracks like "At the Heart of Stasis." Somehow it all ends up on an incredibly hopeful note with the calm, gorgeous "Mountain View."
Jenkins seems incapable of creating anything that isn't excellent, and
Stasis is another fascinating addition to his sprawling discography. ~ Paul Simpson