Minilogue: Animals

As Minilogue, Sweden-based producers Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson conjure ghostly tech house and ambient on Animals for a really, really long time. Two and half hours after opener “Yesterday Bells” taunts the bejesus out of us with a bleary launchpad of Boards of Canada-styled synth loops (and little else), Minilogue’s two-CD debut full-length for Cocoon comes to an end. During the first half, the segment they call “Dance”, Minilogue tramp through dubby techno laced with bovine imitations (“Cow, Crickets, and Clay”), rubbery electro funk (“View of a Juggling Ball”), and more experiments joined seamlessly in mix CD format. As far as a more invigorating 2008 floor-oriented Cocoon release goes, Pig & Dan’s Imagine blends the minimal and the maximal effectively, and they keep it comparatively edited to a sensible portion.

CD2 of Animals is home to far more compelling creatures than CD1 is. The “Ambient” half of Minilogue’s album packs more than 60 minutes of elongated synth tones and field noises, delivering confidently on its subtitle. “Six Arms and One Leg” is a soothing blend of stoner vintage film dialogue, acoustic guitar, and bird calls layered atop a bed of bubbling percussion. Ten minutes later, the soft vibe loops of “Stations I” (of three chapters) beg to be played during a clammy August afternoon, while your uncomfortable parlor guests long silently for the rain patters that adjourn “Even the Wind Seemed in Deep Sleep”.