Editorial Reviews
From URB Magazine
Lee Norris' brand of techno might best be described as Detroit lite. It matters not what nomen he's chosen (Metamatics, Nacht Plank, Tone Language, or in this case, Norken); an uncompromised 4/4 beat of some soft ilk churns away under whatever sounds he places over the top to create songs that quiver with the rumblings of distant club climes, yet are best played at home. For this second Norken LP, Norris extends the dreamy, simplistic two- and three-part themes of his Soul Static Bureau album into retrograde tone poems.
The title track ramps itself into the realm of G-Spot-era Speedy J, ambling along at a dizzying tack while layering up vibrant synth lines like rich Neapolitan manna. Norris follows with the more contemplative "Fern," which feels like 8 mm footage of a summertime kite festival - slow faded colors floating through calm pastel blue. As the album's name suggests, Spring Themes reflects an aesthetic of rebirth, a point made clearly by the jaunty "Northern Soul"; where Soul Static Bureau's "Southern Soul" delved deep into dark, descending chord patterns and a weighty house bass line, "Northern Soul" pogos effervescently with plucky synth accents and a brighter up-tempo gait. Even if Norris' less-than-stellar Metamatics album Dope for the Robot earlier this year didn't do much for you, Norken's Spring Themes should be sought out as an expert example of how to take Detroit techno deep into the home-listening environment.
Heath K. Hignight
Spring Themes,Norken,Hydrogen Juke [Stu],Dance,Electro-Techno,Electronic,Neo-Electro,Pop,Rock
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