Drexciyan electro conceptualist Gerald Donald has sidestepped his regular aliases and collaborations for a new solo album of abstract electro futurism.
The ever-elusive Donald is revered as one half of Detroit electro visionaries Drexciya, and since the 90s has also left crucial electronic artefacts under the alter-egos Arpanet, Japanese Telecom, Elektroids, LAM, Heinrich Mueller, Dataphysix and Der Zyklus, among others.
Conic Sections is a 30-minute suite of eight distinct beatless passages, from a similar nano-scale sonic palette as his 2017 Dopplereffekt album Cellular Automata with long-time collaborator Nhan Le Thi – my album of the year.
Donald’s previous Dopplereffekt releases have been explorations of particle physics, string theory, nuclear research (and OK, mannequin sex), and Conic Sections is a further extrapolation of high-concept mathematics, inspired by the geometry of 3D cone and plane intersections – fans will recognise an Arpanet cover from the Wikipedia diagram.
XOR Gate – named after the digital logic system – is developed from a live project commissioned by ArtCenter South Florida in 2016. It ranges from nervy crystal twinkles and melancholy sci-fi pads, to outer-limit abstract electronic pulses.
It’s out this Friday, March 30 on Tresor, but Wire is streaming it in full for the time being here.
Moo Kid 